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Today’s Blog Post
It is jet black inside this space. I am bending over and the oxygen is not coming fast enough. I am going to die any minute now.
My new prison is dank and dark. There is water forming on the walls from the cool rock and the humidity filtering down to the level that I am at.
At this minute I am about 20 feet below the surface of the earth and going deeper.
I can hear voices calling out from below and from above. The ones above are asking, “Are you okay Dad?” The ones from below are calling, “Are you coming Grandpa.” I responded with, “Yes! To both of you!” under my breath which I don’t have much of to use up with silly answers. Sheesh!
I can do this… I am able to do anything – in fact all through my life I have been able to do anything I put my mind to. And I have put my mind to this and I WILL DO IT – EVEN IF IT KILLS ME!
Now that isn’t a pretty thought at the 25 foot level down in the bowels of the earth with a million tons of gigantic rocks pressing down around your being. What if I do die in this wet and slippery place? How will any one ever get my body unstuck as it is trapped deeply within its confines and entrapment!
Now I am sweating and covered with yucky, wet, dirt that has seeped into my blue jean knees.
Ow! That hurt, Ouch! That one really hurt. Bump. Thump. Grind!... Around another giant boulder… and I see my grandson’s flash light… It is Christopher and he is just ahead of me. Dear God don’t let me die just now, Christopher would be traumatized watching his Grandpa go this way.
Christopher must have sense my anguish and his small voice asked in the pitch blackness, “Are you okay Grandpa?” The precious, young, 8 year old is thinking of his dear old Grandpa at this depth in the earth! What a guy!
Then I heard his young voice ask the person beside him, “I don’t know if Grandpa will get through this space, its pretty tight!”
The little rascal has scampered on ahead to check it out and was now waiting till I catch up.
He saw me coming and said, “Grandpa this one is not very big, you have to squish down to get through… are you okay?”
“I’ll be okay Christopher… be there in a minute… hang one… wait for Grandpa okay….” At this stage it wasn’t an order I was giving him but rather an appeal or pleading…
I caught up and was now close by. The space was smaller than I remember from years ago.
I was first in this cave years before Christopher was born. Back then it was much easier. And now at 66 years old it is tighter… tougher… and harder to bend down that low… scrunch into smaller balls and slide through more awkward spaces. I cannot believe what has happened in 12 years time.
The voices of five other kids had dwindled to no sound. They had already left the cave and were heading to the next one up ahead. Grandpa had another 20 feet before the exit to the cave was to come insight… and Christopher was waiting on him. Precious kid! I love him… making sure his Grandpa could make that one last squeeze through that tight area.
As I slipped into the last major turn down and to the right… I breathed out as much a possible and I was through. Exhaling tends to reduce the abdomen cavity and makes that final turn easier and then letting your body weight carry you down makes it quicker and easier as well. Don’t even begin to entertain that one horrible thought… “What if you are too big and you get caught at this level… you have exhaled and there is no oxygen in your lungs now… you cannot push back up… and your Grandson is looking on with hopes knowing his Grandpa can do anything…!”
The exhaling wasn’t that necessary. The drop was easy and I slid on down, crunched a little flatter and then followed Christopher who turned and said, “I see some light up there Grandpa, I think we can go this way!”
Now I missed one important part – the part before I started to panic in my first paragraph.
It was way back at the top and five kids had already descended. Christopher was beside me. He said, “I am scared Grandpa. I want to go with you.” His hand reached out for mine and held on tight as we squeezed under the first rocks.
About 15 feet further he said, “I wouldn’t want to live down here! It is cold and yucky!”
Then he said, “This is fun Grandpa… can we go farther?”
“Sure, Christopher, we will do it together!”
I have made statements all along my life… and especially yesterday… “Grandpas can do anything!” And I mean it…!
We exited that painful first cave. Christopher and I followed the rest into the next cave… and the next… and then next… doing five out of the seven caves available at the Warsaw Caves.
What an amazing place it is! After the caves we headed to the side of the peaceful river. The kids donned their bathing suits. The Peanut and Jelly Sandwiches were great… and both Grandma and Grandpa found picnic tables to sleep on.
Now this is living! And God… “I am so glad I am still alive, above ground and not stuck in that cave with back hoes and cranes lifting rocks off me right now!”
Grandpas really can do anything!
~ Murray Lincoln ~ http://www.murraylincoln.com/
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