• Venture Through Immerman


    As I stood barefoot on a fallen tree, I gazed down at the muddy water surrounding me. The gentle spring breeze caused faint ripples to appear in my clouded reflection. I felt the tree shift beneath my feet which were soaked to the bone, and blackened with mud. I looked to the land bridge twenty-some feet away.
    “Do you want me to carry you?” A friendly, familiar voice came from behind. It was David; the 6’3” giant teddy bear, able to bring joy to even the gloomiest of situations. I turned to face him. His eyes, like ever deepening seas, an earthy shade of green, glistened in the sunlight. He smiled. It was that same smile that had warmed my heart since the first day I met him.
    He stepped down off the tree, and into the water. I struggled to keep my balance as the tree rose about an inch to the surface from the sudden absence of his weight. The muddy water soaked into his jeans, up past the knee. I climbed up on to his back, and wrapped my arms tightly around his neck in an attempt to avoid getting any more wet than I already was.
    As he trudged onward, the water grew deeper. It came almost to his waist by the time we reached the land bridge. After finally setting foot on land, David proceeded to carry me through the rest of the park. His back was warm against my tiny, frozen body. I rested my head upon his shoulder. I must have let out some sort of whimper in the process, because he chuckled as I did so.
    Lying there on David’s back, I began to realize just how important he is to me. How important all my friends are. It seems that no matter how tough the situation, they are the ones who are always there to support me, and until now, I’ve kind of taken that for granted…