Remembering tubing down the River and the analogy of the two hour trip seems to mirror life:
At first, it was very exciting and fast moving over rapids, next I was frozen in fear at moving forward past the snags without getting hurt and then moving on with help from my love. When we reached the mouth of the river, the water moved slowly and slower still because the ocean water was coming in on the high tide and mixing with the fresh water and then it was over and we got out of the river.
I think life is so very much like that trip down the river.