One of my earliest memories of being on the lake was way back in the late 80s, when our old Viking deck boat stopped working.  I remember multiple family members jumping in the water to swim with ropes to tow that old dog into the marina.  That stunk.  I also remember a time later when our Bayliner stopped working, and a nice person in another boat giving us a tow into the marina.  That did not stink.  In fact, it was an act that I think is somewhat standard and representative of the lake life, and those that truly Rule The Lake will adhere by rule # 3:  Always help out your fellow lakers...and your lake.

It’s still the beginning of lake season, so you still have time to read a boating guide.  In fact, here’s one for you:

I realize it’s for Indiana, but most of it applies everywhere.  I take the same approach to boating as I do for driving, which is that I operate under the assumption that everyone else out there is a complete moron.  My Driver’s Ed teacher would call that:  DEFENSIVE DRIVING.  While I don’t believe that you (definitely not you dear reader!) and everyone else are morons, I also recognize that many people are, or at least they are lacking in self-awareness, or completely self-involved and therefore oblivious to their surroundings.  On the Lake, it’s “if you can drive a car, you can drive a recreational vehicle.”  Even if you have never, ever, driven a boat or wave runner, you can drive a boat with a valid driver's license.  If you're under 16, you can actually take a boating course and operate a recreational vehicle.  I didn't know that when I was 14 and got my first ever ticket.  Sorry Dad!

Those of you reading this are hopefully King and Queens of your lake (submit an entry by the way and be featured), so you, of course, have read a boating guide!  If you haven’t, be sure to read the one I just gave you….YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING OUT THERE!  Enjoying the lake is a relatively easy endeavor, however, accidents can and will happen because obliviots are everywhere, and sometimes bad things just happen.