Jump on in, the water’s fine! I’ll wait here

funny opinion article from the frederick news-post.

Most people have likely witnessed that the world in which we live has a substantial number of people with questionable judgment — at least I think their judgment needs some work. What brings this to mind is that I’ve discovered that I volunteer for an organization that supports activities for these very people. I’m new to the organization since June 2016 and am still discovering the ins and outs.

The allure of joining this organization was the good works that it does around Maryland for both people and wildlife. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that it supports large numbers of manic individuals.

In reading the schedule of upcoming activities, I’ve discovered that this organization supports and is involved with the Polar Bear Plunge at Sandy Point State Park. There are more. On Feb. 25, there’s a Freezin’ for a Reason dunk up at Deep Creek Lake. On March 4, at Rocky Gap State Park they have something they call the Hooley Plunge. Maybe “hooley” is another word for “out of your mind.”

Don’t get me wrong. I’m fully aware that these events are held for good and charitable reasons. Supporting charities is an admirable effort. Jumping into water that’s less than 50 degrees Fahrenheit is a totally different story. Rightfully or wrongfully, I consider such activity a potentially heart-stopping event.

It’s not that I haven’t had the experience. I know whereof I speak. A “few years ago,” when I was in high school, I found myself in a small boat about 50 yards off a rocky coast in 30 feet of water near Gloucester, Mass. (I still say “Mass.” because virtually my whole family and myself were born there — it’s a local thing). Gloucester is north of Cape Cod — that means cold, cold water. The Cape pushes the Gulf Stream far from shore. Young, bullet-proof teenager that I was, I decided to dive in prior to donning a wet suit; big mistake. I hit the water, surfaced and tried to breathe. Wow! I could take in only “little sips” of air. My breath was literally taken away, and I wondered if I could make it back to the boat. My point? I know what cold water feels like and need no reminders. Don’t like it!

Almost as bad are those who a year or so ago engaged in a fad of challenging others to dump buckets of ice water over their heads. All right, that’s not as bad as total immersion, but what’s the point? I’ve dealt with a fairly significant number of discomforts in my life — my time in the Army comes to mind. I’ve never been one to go out of my way to voluntarily seek discomfort.

So, for you crazed plungers out there who find such activities to be fun and exhilarating, knock yourselves out. Please don’t take that literally. While the Polar Bear Plunge at Sandy Point on Jan. 28 has already happened, two that don’t get so much attention are Feb. 25 at Deep Creek and March 4 at Rocky Gap. Begrudgingly, I’ll admit that they’re all for good causes. For myself, it’s much more comfortable to offer support from shore or just write a check.

Enjoy yourselves. I’ll watch from a distance. BTW, the group that offers support for these extreme immersions is our own Maryland Natural Resources Police.

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Jay Ferguson

Who I Am My name is Jay Ferguson, and I am a lifelong resident of the Deep Creek Lake area. I am also co-owner of the real estate side of Taylor Made. I have been in the real estate business for 21+ years now and I LOVE what I do! I have to say, my career really took off when I co-founded the real estate side of Taylor Made in 2014. Its been an amazing experience, building a real estate company from the ground up and achieving so much so quickly! In August 2016, we purchased Long & Foster Real Estate Deep Creek, where I had started my career in 2000. In 2018, we on-boarded virtually every agent from Coldwell Banker Deep Creek Realty as they closed up shop and the real estate family grew even more! We now have over 40 sales agents and have expanded to West Virginia and Pennsylvania, as well. Taylor Made is the #1 vacation rental company at Deep Creek with over 475 vacation rental homes, and over one hundred thousand yearly visitors. Its amazing what we have accomplished using the principles of honesty, teamwork and customer service! Personally, my wife Jessica and I enjoy traveling and especially spending time in the outdoors, hiking and exploring the many diverse areas that Garrett County is naturally blessed with. We have raised two wonderful children here, Kayleah (22) and Noah (13). In the summer, we love spending time on the water with friends & family and enjoying the lake life! We are both active in our church, our community & local school activities, and we fill our schedule with plenty of volunteer efforts. I currently serve on the board of directors for Habitat for Humanity. I am proud to say that I was named Deep Creek Time’s Favorite ‘Community Champion’ in 2019. I was also named Garrett County Realtor of the Year in 2018-19, as well. I really enjoy promoting my hometown. I am very proud of the resort area that has developed over my lifetime and look forward to growing the area even more! Deep Creek Lake has been described as ‘The Lake Tahoe of the east', and I think that speaks volumes about the potential to own property here! Deep Creek Lake isn't really a town or city by itself; it's comprised of three towns: Oakland, Swanton & McHenry, Maryland. I am very passionate about my hometown and am impressed with how many people know about it as we travel around the country. Deep Creek Lake is an amazing place to visit and even better place to live! During the pandemic in 2020, our market exploded and more and more people left their primary residence in the city to live here permanently. With distance learning in schools and tele-commuting becoming the ‘norm’, many more people were drawn to the area to ‘live where they love to play’. Why You Want Me Working for You: In addition to being an owner, I am consistently one of the top-producing agents in the entire area and the Associate Broker of record for Taylor-Made Deep Creek Vacations & Sales. I have 21+ years of experience and I am a problem solver. There aren’t many situations that I have not encountered and I have a strategy for almost every scenario that you may encounter. I have extensively trained in all areas of real estate & emerging technologies, and also have trained as an appraiser, as well as served as a full-time Broker. I have a strong knowledge of the industry, as well as many trusted local contacts & affiliations that allow me to perform at a very high level and deliver results. I have a great deal of respect for my peers in this industry and have strong working relationships that I would love to put to work for you. Call me to discuss your situation - I know I can be of great service to you & others you care about! Honesty. Integrity. Results. View all posts by Jay Ferguson