When I was young, I had the privilege of spending every summer on a lake in New York and attending the oldest continuous day camp in the United States, the Chautauqua Boys and Girls Club. My sisters went there; My parents went there; My uncles and aunts on both sides went there. The experience through these generations was quintessentially the same - you played field games, you sailed, you paddled canoes and you swam.
Now, I was game for most of the aforementioned activities, but when it came to swimming, I was not overly keen on climbing into the murky, cold lake water at 10:00am and wading over the silt and seaweed bottom to learn how to float on my back. I dreaded it. My first year, I was excused due to tubes in my ears, but for the remaining 9 years, I spent a disproportionate amount of energy charming my way out the mandatory morning swim.
This was not to say, I could not swim. Growing up on a lake, the ability to move through the water became part of your DNA. You did not have to set Olympic records, but you had to at least be comfortable in the water. Comfort levels varied and mine hovered around trending water and the forward movement not unlike the elderly at the local retirement center. It met the minimum requirement.
So, even though I spent the first 18 summers of my life on a lake, I never learned how to swim properly. This year, the 44th year of my existence, I decided to do what I was supposed to do (and my parents paid for) 35 years ago. I learned to swim ... correctly! This, by the way, was no easy feat. Firstly, I was in India, so it was not like I could run down to the local YMCA and grab an instructor and, secondly, I may in fact be in a bit less shape than I was at 9.
I addressed the first issue with modern technology and found a great internet site call swimsmooth.com that walked you through all you needed to know about becoming a capable swimmer. Since I was not a complete stranger to the water, the basics came quickly, albeit awkwardly and, in some cases, painfully due to the second issue. I was simply out of shape.
Almost every night since May, I have lugged myself to the American Embassy pool and clawed though the water perfecting a mediocre crawl. Each week, I added a little more distance. I started with one pool length of 25 yards and a few weeks ago actually crossed the 1/2 mile milestone without stopping.
There is another reason that I have focused so much on swimming this summer. At the end of this week, Olga and I will go to the Maldives where I will get certified as an Open Water Diver. This is something I have wanted to do for many years, but never got around to it. Actually, to be honest, I have simply avoided it, since one of the requirements is you must be able to swim 200 yards non-stop and until now, I just couldn’t do it!
Now, I was game for most of the aforementioned activities, but when it came to swimming, I was not overly keen on climbing into the murky, cold lake water at 10:00am and wading over the silt and seaweed bottom to learn how to float on my back. I dreaded it. My first year, I was excused due to tubes in my ears, but for the remaining 9 years, I spent a disproportionate amount of energy charming my way out the mandatory morning swim.
This was not to say, I could not swim. Growing up on a lake, the ability to move through the water became part of your DNA. You did not have to set Olympic records, but you had to at least be comfortable in the water. Comfort levels varied and mine hovered around trending water and the forward movement not unlike the elderly at the local retirement center. It met the minimum requirement.
So, even though I spent the first 18 summers of my life on a lake, I never learned how to swim properly. This year, the 44th year of my existence, I decided to do what I was supposed to do (and my parents paid for) 35 years ago. I learned to swim ... correctly! This, by the way, was no easy feat. Firstly, I was in India, so it was not like I could run down to the local YMCA and grab an instructor and, secondly, I may in fact be in a bit less shape than I was at 9.
I addressed the first issue with modern technology and found a great internet site call swimsmooth.com that walked you through all you needed to know about becoming a capable swimmer. Since I was not a complete stranger to the water, the basics came quickly, albeit awkwardly and, in some cases, painfully due to the second issue. I was simply out of shape.
Almost every night since May, I have lugged myself to the American Embassy pool and clawed though the water perfecting a mediocre crawl. Each week, I added a little more distance. I started with one pool length of 25 yards and a few weeks ago actually crossed the 1/2 mile milestone without stopping.
There is another reason that I have focused so much on swimming this summer. At the end of this week, Olga and I will go to the Maldives where I will get certified as an Open Water Diver. This is something I have wanted to do for many years, but never got around to it. Actually, to be honest, I have simply avoided it, since one of the requirements is you must be able to swim 200 yards non-stop and until now, I just couldn’t do it!
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