Char vs The Ocean

I recently remembered quite vividly a day at Balmedie Beach (just North of Aberdeen) - a day I danced with death. It was a cool day, hardly anyone was on the beach except some windsurfers a ways from where Jordan and I were. I decided I wanted to go for a swim. While Jordan played with Oliver on the beach, I played in the huge waves that were crashing the shore - big swells, I was delighted at how high the waves pushed me, and enjoyed letting them push and pull me - I thought the ocean was just having a bit of fun with me...until I suddenly realized that I had drifted quite a ways from the shore. I could barely see Jordan. A little bit of nervous shot through me and I quickly started to swim towards the shore. A little bit of terror shot through me when I realized that although the waves were throwing me forwards on their way to the shore, there was a stong current pulling me back, further away every time they passed over me. I was being slowly being pulled out into the ocean. Panicked, I fought against the waves and swam forwards with everything I had in me but I could tell that I wasn't strong enough - I wasn't getting closer to the shore. So this is what I did - I let a wave throw me forward and then I sunk under the water and shoved my feet into the sand to anchor myself against the undertow. When I felt the undertow pass I shot myself up and let the next wave throw me forward again. Bit by bit I struggled my way forward until I finally reached the shore.