Doddi's has a ring to it!

I joined Mandurah Masters last year shortly after the pool reopened, after some time in pool training, venturing out to swim at Doddi’s Beach. Being somewhat colder, my wedding ring would slip around on a thinner finger, which was very distracting, not to mention the thought of losing it. I would reposition it back into position with my thumb while swimming. This is the tale that followed.

It was mid-March 2016; I was steadily increasing my distance swimming at Doddi’s. That morning my wedding ring was slipping down my finger and could possibly fall off. I usually remembered to leave it in the car, but not that morning. I decided in the middle of the first swim leg, about 30 metres off the beach, to take the ring off. I was wearing two pairs of bathers; jammers over a short pair. I decided to remove the ring mid-water, paused to tuck it into the jammers where it would be safe.

Finished the swim, a quick shower and stripped down in the change room - the ring was gone. Over coffee I sweated over how to explain the loss; truth is the best policy and decided to do it straightaway. After that it wasn’t talked about again. I checked out a replacement but decided to wait awhile. I never mentioned it to anyone in the Club.

Now it is Monday 11 April 2016 (some three or four weeks later). I remember the date very well. Delwynn and I were meant to leave for Denmark to walk the Bibbulmun Track with friends over several days. I wanted another swim at Doddi’s Beach in the lead up the Busselton Half Ironman swim on 1 May. Delwynn went on to Demark with friends. I was to follow later that day.

I arrived at the beach early that morning, there were a few members already there, the rest were yet to arrive. A lady with her little dog walked by, turned and came back saying “Are you the ones who swim here regularly?” “Yes” was our response. She continued “Has anyone lost any jewelry?” “No was the general response”. “Well yes”, I chirped up, because no-one was aware of my loss. She asked “What have you lost?” and I said “A wedding ring” and she asked me to describe it, which I did. “Then I think I found your ring, it was washed up on the sand bar at the end of the beach. I was looking for shells and saw something catch the sun and it was a ring. I will walk back home and bring it back for you” she said.

What a string of aligned coincides; The ring lost somewhere out in the sea, rolling over the sea bed, passing rocks and seaweed continuing up onto the beach, seen by a keen-eyed observant lady, who happens to walk her dog passed on the morning I was to be in a car driving south, but also I was at the beach earlier than usual that day. It all came together like it was meant to be.

Did I offer a reward? The lady politely refused to talk about rewards, including dinner out; I even suggested a breakfast at Dome. “No, I am just happy I found the ring’s owner, her parting words were “pass it forward” and she slowly walked off into the distance. I was still thinking about the sequence of coincidences and missed asking her name; we had parted with smiles, a hug and a kiss on her cheek.