Creative Writing: I Row Crew

I row crew. Rowing has taught me how to work hard and dedicate myself to a cause. It makes my hands bleed, my body ache, and my time vanish. It is a 30 hour a week investment with a 45 minute commute 6 days a week. I don’t row because it’s easy, or even all that fun. I don’t row because I’m good at it—believe me, it does not come easy. I row because I love the work. Even more powerful, however, is the sublime harmony of 8 synchronous people working together, fully reliant on each other.
Rowers are constantly told to “keep it internal” and any sly glances at crews passed or passing result in a nasty jolt as the weight of the boat gets unset. In the boat we are totally reliant on our teammates, and they on us. Rowers race backwards, seeing only