April 11, 1973, Wednesday

Barbra didn’t show up in tell 5 in the morning. What can I say? I took a swim, as usual I jumped the boardwalk wall and run to the serf. I was in my usual routine, a long swim out and a long swim in. I swam out and turned to swim back. I thought I was dead. I went three times the distance that I normally go. It was early and few people were on the beach, they were so far away they looked like tiny toys, too far to hear me.

I am a river rafter so I started to dig in and swim hard. I was exhausted when I looked up. My heart almost leaped out of my throat, I was further out. I floated on my back to get some rest. I started to slowly swim parallel to the beach. I angled my swim so that I was slightly headed to the shore. I must have been in the water for over an hour when I finally came to the beach. I was three miles down the beach.

By the time I walked back to the apartment the guys were ready to go to school. We were going to be late if I didn’t hurry. They said, wow man you should have read those warning signs. I looked over to the beach. Spaced out at every one hundred feet are big warning signs. SWIMMING IS PROHIBITED. WARNING STRONG RIP TIDE. STAY OUT OF THE WATER. “Oh,” I said. “I ran past it.”

I took a quick shower. We made it to class on time. I spent the day making art out of welding rods in my booth. I haven’t mastered arc welding. I will, I hope. Twelve guys have been transferred so far. It’s my little brother’s birthday. Happy birthday, Rock. Later.