A Wave of Fear
		By Eric of the Web


	Son," my mother calls as she walks into my room.
	What could she want?  I am now deeply into my novel Charlottes
Web.  Not to mention it's a lovely Saturday morning.
	"Your father and I have decided to spend a day at the beach."
	The beach!  The beach!  I began to jump up and down.  I had
always wanted to go to the beach!  All my life!

	"Are we there yet?" I impatiently ask.
	"Almost," father replies, "thirty or so minutes."  Thirty
minutes!  It seems like forever.  I'm shaking but definitely
exited.

	The sand feels pleasing on my bare feet.  I run to the water's
edge, but stop.  "Come on Son," my father beckons standing
beside me, "it's just water."

	Should I go in?  A chill runs down my spine.
	"Come on Son,"  my father said again.
	What the heck?  I step in.  Bbbbbbbrrrrrrr!  It is cold.  But
after standing next to my father with my feet in the water for a
few minutes, it begins to feel soothing.  I relax.  Soon I am
entirely in the water.	
	Soon I learn to jump the waves.  My father has left me and I
haven't even noticed.  I am beginning to enjoy myself.  Oh, here
comes a big one.  Wee, this is merry!
	So why was I so afraid?  It was a silly fear.  Imagine that,
afraid of water!

	"Time to go," my mother calls.
	"Already," I respond surprised.
	"Already," she says, "it's 6:30!"
	6:30!  How could it be so late already?  I had been in the
water most of the time.  Time flies when you're having fun!


	On this day I learned my fear was silly.  I won't be so afraid
in the future.  I will look forward to going back to the beach. 
It was the most fun I ever had.