wharf-jumping

Here it is folks, the 200th blog post! Now officially less than halfway there.
Today we got to do some of the things that I have waited years to do, one of which being a kayak in the ocean and of course, wharf jumping.
The last time we wharf-jumped was when the wharf was old, rotting, and dilapidated, and probably not passing any health regulations. But last summer they redid it, and now the house is new, the planks are new, and even the ladders are coated with new paint. I was thoroughly impressed.
And what we do, the kids here in town and kids from surrounding towns, we jump off this wharf into the freezing waters below. We all do it, and it's a wonderfully fun thing to do. It's a big milestone to do it for the first time, and inaugural jumps are almost unanimously applauded by the other bystanders.
In fact, my best friend came today, and she did a back flip off the wharf and started a trend. And her 5-year-old sister became the youngest to date of Nahant wharf jumpers. My cousin jumped off for the first time as well, and we had a great swim back to shore, about a half mile. It's a great workout for the arms and legs too, because of the currents and such.
But what other person would think jumping off a filthy boat dock into freezing ocean water, filled with salt and seaweed, is fun? Or swimming in that water to shore through red tide? But it's about the memories from year to year that we keep with us and keep alive every year. And memories are what keep us alive and connect all of us.
By the way, a wharf is a boat dock, in case you were not au courant. Now you are.