M. JAY LOVELADY
Huntsville, Alabama
When I was in college, I had the opportunity to take a class on the Korean War. Not only did I learn a lot about an interesting part of American and world history, my school paid for a trip to Korea as well as visits to the actual battlefield sites. As a bonus, on our return trip home, we stopped in Hawaii to study the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor. We also took time to visit some of Hawaii’s world-famous beaches. I thought this would be my opportunity to finally surf some big waves.
We started our day by going to a local shop and renting a few surf and boogie boards. We asked the clerk where the best places to surf were, and he told us of a beach where we were sure to catch some good waves. I was eager to try riding the boogie board just as I did when I was younger during family vacations to the Gulf of Mexico, so we immediately headed for the beach.
When we arrived, we grabbed our equipment and carefully made our way down a rocky slope to the beach. It was an amazing sight to see the waves crashing 200 meters out in the ocean. I am strong swimmer, so with all the confidence in the world, I entered the water with my boogie board in tow.
As I swam on the boogie board, my first impression of the Pacific Ocean was that it was much different than the Gulf of Mexico. I could feel the current tugging at my arms and legs as the waves crashed over me. It took a while, but I finally made it past the breaking waves and out to where a number of boogie boarders were bobbing up and down with the swells. Little did I know that just 10 minutes later I’d be fighting for my life.
I waited for the biggest wave — one that would propel me across the water like a rocket. Unfortunately, I found what I was looking for. As I went over the top of a seven-foot wave, I was not able to progress down the face. Instead, I was carried over the top of the wave and driven into the ocean floor.
I remember being dragged across the bottom. For some reason my fish-like swimming skills weren’t strong enough to get me back to the surface. After what felt like an eternity, I kicked my way to the surface and struggled to shore. My friends were cheering me on, excitedly telling me how I had almost made it. What they didn’t realize, however, was just how close I came to not making it.
I learned a lesson that day about having overconfidence in one’s abilities. Since then, I’ve carried that lesson with me in everything I do. I was lucky. Had I used risk management, I likely would not have made the choices I did that day.