Last weekend, I ventured out to Otway to participate in the Friends of Scioto Brush Creek sweep, where we spent the day in canoes, paddling two miles downstream to collect trash and litter.

Leading up to the event, I wasn’t sure of what to expect and I was talking myself in and out of going.

It may shock the people who know me, because I seem addicted to extroverted work and activities in my professional life, but I have a confession: I am a pretty dedicated introvert.

I do well in professional settings, because I know my role, I know what I’m capable of, and I do well stepping up to the plate in those situations. In a social setting, however, I am very much introverted and awkward. I never know what to do with myself and quickly become self-conscious.

Additionally, when I learned we were using canoes, because of the nature of the debris, instead of our own kayaks, I let uncertainty take an even greater hold. I had been years and years away from my last canoe adventure and I also did not have a partner to go with me, which meant I’d be paired with a stranger.

Despite having a love of the outdoors and local waterways, and a general fondness for people who love the same, I talked myself in and out of going for three days. Even in the morning of, I decided against going until 40 minutes before. A switch flipped, though, and I decided I was doing it. I made the drive out there as quickly as I could to ensure I would be on time—and so I didn’t talk myself out of going again.

When I arrived, I noticed I knew nobody but the organizer, Jody McCallister, and nearly kept driving until I found a road out of the area to go back home. As I passed, however, I slowed down and then swerved into a gravel parking space, telling myself I would leave my comfort zone and participate.

I walked up, handed Jody my form and received an “adorkable” volunteer shirt that I now love. I quickly learned the people were amazing, with plenty of conversations going around and everyone being incredibly welcoming. Additionally, three more people showed up that I knew and one I hadn’t seen in years, Laura Rogers, who was a load of fun that day. I wasn’t surprised to see the Bradbury family there, either, seeing as how Barb and Kevin are so community-minded and love the outdoors; they’re truly amazing humans.

I was pleased to meet Mr. Martin McCallister, who I had heard was a “legend” and then we piled into the bed of his truck to shuttle to the launch site. It had been years since I rode in the bed of a pickup and good company and the wind from the backroads ride was a nice way to wash the anxiety of the unknown away.

The stranger I was paired with, and had been worried about, was Kingston Edge, who has quite possibly the coolest name ever. While I hadn’t had canoeing experience in many years, I still frequently kayak. Given Mr. Edge was new, we made a good team. I enjoyed working with the young man to pry loose tires and getting to know each other over the course of the paddle.

Over the course of six hours, we had a dozen canoes coasting along the water as we collected 47 tires, a door-less safe, a kid’s play structure, and many bags of trash.

When we weren’t cleaning, we had Martin guiding us along various levels of water activity and also found moments to slow down and take in the wildlife. Along the way, we found a variety of birds and fish, a baby snapping turtle no larger than a quarter, an otter, a harmless little snake, and a mudpuppy.

The day made for a rewarding experience of work, socializing, and taking in the beauty that is the Scioto Brush Creek watershed.

I knew I would have a great time on the water, but I nearly allowed my comfort zone to keep me from attending.

This is the first column I’ve written in seven years. I hope to continue with a couple each month and was inspired by the wonderful day to start again. Not only did I want to highlight the amazing people who care about the environment and important watershed, but I also wanted to touch base on anxieties and breaking through the dreaded comfort zone.

I encourage everyone to step out more and experience the things that make them uncomfortable. It makes for a more fulfilling life with new experiences. I know stepping out of mine allowed me to have one of the most rewarding and fun-filled days I’ve had in a long time that will stick with me for some time. We are meant to be social creatures and we have this wonderful backyard filled with outdoorsy activities and countless nonprofits working tirelessly to foster community and activities.

Go to a Final Friday, join Connex on an activity, visit a Friends of Portsmouth or Main Street Portsmouth in Bloom event or festival, go to the museum, join in on the ACID Crawl, consider hitting up Brush Creek—just make sure you go out and do. If this introvert can do it, anyone can. Get out and play, explore, make new friends, and adventure past what makes you comfortable.

Reach Joseph Pratt at (740) 353-3101, by email at [email protected], © 2022 Portsmouth Daily Times, all rights reserved