Swimming

My swimming is a metaphor for my life.   Simple things that need to be done for the process of swimming to be fluid.  Fred will not be here next Saturday when we usually have our lesson.  He is teaching out of town and is very generous to give me an hour of his limited weekend.  So this is all I need to do to be able to breathe easily and swim strong.

Once I decided that if didn’t matter if I learned to swim, I started to swim.   I am slippery.  I put my hand into the mail slot and keep my head pointing forward.   My knees are close, and I only give a strong kick as I am changing sides to put the other hand in the mail shoot. 

It is my body that turns, and then it brings the head with it.  Not the head that turns and brings the body.  Even the slightest kick makes the body and head turn more quickly.

The body follows the top of the head which is pointing across the pool.

I am relaxed.  The water is supporting me, and I don’t have to struggle to stay on top.

Swimming is actually skating in the water.   Skate – reach out. Mail shoot and stretch.. then stroke again.

For years, I looked at the water as something to conquer .. I was going to beat the water.  We struggled, and I drank more pool that you can imagine.  

The most effort for the swim now is blowing out all the air…. And easily taking in new….to blow again.

There is no hurry… I am not tired after an hour of swimming.. and I want to go again….

I am a “Sheesh Kabab” as Fred would say in his French/Belgian English.. 

Like my life lessons... I did not give up, and it is coming together. 

I skate.     I stroke…      I swim.