Tubing, Part 1

Also while at camp we went tubing on the Platte River. This involves much the same stress as the waterpark, only you are wearing your swim attire in front of people you do know and will see again. I'm pretty much over the 'how I look in a bathing suit' thing. The thing I can't get past is how to get into and out of an innertube. I struggle with this at waterslides and in the wave pool. So I decided to be smart and just follow the example of those I was with. The problem with this plan was that I was with middle school girls. They stepped into their innertubes and I stepped into my innertube. They pulled their tubes up to their waists and I did the same. (There was just a brief moment of panic when the tube encountered my hips, but all was well. Sigh of relief.) Then we waded in to the water. And here's where my plan went awry. Once we were floating in the water they just pulled their knees, followed by their feet, up through the center of the tube. Well my body does not work that way. Bend that way. Or fit that way. So I floated the first part of the river hanging through my tube, chatting with middle school girls about how fat they are and what boys they like. With my life vest strangling me. And my bottom half scraping on rocks. At the half way point we stopped and the STP helped me flop backwards on top of the tube without flipping completely over. And I floated the second half of the trip chatting with a real adult about spiritual things. And then I had to get out of my tube. Let's just say it was about as graceful as getting on a horse. I'm thinking there must be a trick to this that no one is telling me. I would google 'getting in and out of an innertube' but I'm afraid there will be a you-tube video of me on the Platte. And somethings I'd rather not know.