Barbie-Jo Smith

One afternoon my husband and I were driving in our truck heading home from a great day of fishing. As we chatted, he began to recount a story about being with friends and drifting down a lazy shallow mountain river on a sunny afternoon, enjoying the wonders of Mother Nature. Ahead was a bush trap, which is a low hanging tree limb that catches floating logs and debris. As they swerved to avoid the trap, and simultaneously rounded the bend in the river, they realized they were headed directly into a huge set of rapids. In recounting this to me, in his low key and calm way of speaking, he said, “Yup. Things were going fine till we hit the rapids.”

I threw back my head and laughed until my sides hurt. For me, this simple phrase sums up, not only the reality of the incident he was recounting and the riotous scramble to keep the boat afloat, but it symbolizes life in general. Who among us cannot say that they have experienced the smooth ride down the river of life, which sometimes turns around the bend throwing us into the rapids? It’s that sort of experience, and the ensuing determination to stay afloat, that makes us strong. On the other hand, being thrown into the river can be a hilarious and wonderful experience.

While each of us experiences life in terms of our own unique perspectives, I find that as I get older I see more of the humourous side to flailing around in the water. So my friends, put on your bathing suit, grab a towel, and let’s launch the boat into the rapids!

“Things Were Going Fine Till We Hit the Rapids” is a collection of short stories and embedded poems, based on real life experiences. The title has a double meaning, because we can literally hit the rapids on a boat ride down a river and we can figuratively hit the rapids on our journey down the river of life. Barbie-Jo writes with both sensitivity and hilarity, sharing stories from her life and introducing characters who whose antics and experiences will have you laughing out loud.