Swimming for me is truly therapy, both body and mind therapy. There is something that is naturally healing whether I am in a pool, ocean, lake or hot tub. It doesn't matter if I am swimming laps, doing water aerobics, deep water floating, or attempting simple yoga positions in the shallow end - I need the water and it embraces me with strength, forgiveness and acceptance.
I'll remember these words on some blustery winter day when going to the pool seems like a hurdle too high (because I'm sure the day will come). Glad to hear swimming does such great things for you; thanks for letting me know.
I absolutely love this, Cheryl, and I am so enjoying your writing! I also have mad envy that you have made a life that allows you to do so much of it! I am putting that in my "Goals" column...
Thank you, Ellen, I love that you're following along on my Substack journey! You do so much good work, and I've always enjoyed your night porch dispatches—so I approve of your goal to write more. I can imagine what that brilliant mind of yours might produce. Get to it! :-)
I love imagining your life in Perugia! When my next book tour is done, if I'm not completely broke, I'm coming back to Italy to research my next book and learn Italian. Perugia is in my book!
I was terrified of the water as a child, even ran away from home so as not to be forced to take swimming lessons. To this day, I don't know how to swim. I keep telling myself that I should learn, but, at 62, I wonder if it's even necessary. Water and I have always have a distressingly adversarial relationship, and it defies logic to see that changing in the foreseeable future.
My wife and I were in Hawaii a year ago, and she coaxed me into a kayak. It will remain one of the great mistakes of my life- and certainly one of the most stressful afternoons I've experienced, though I did get to see things I wouldn't have otherwise.
I keep telling people, "This is why we have life preservers," hoping that such a pronouncement will draw a line in the sand, but it never does. And so the argument continues....🤷🏻♂️
I think it's normal to be afraid of water. I get freaked out by things under the surface of lakes, or the plants growing in ponds—yuck! I guess you don't need to learn if you don't plan to spend much time on or near water, but if more kayaking is in your future (sounds like it isn't), then yes, you should. And, I don't know, maybe it would be satisfying to overcome your fear? In any case, please stay safe!
What a beautiful consideration of swimming. I’m so glad you found it, and came to love it. Plus one to the doctor. Swimming makes you strong as hell.
From about age 8-20, all I did was swim. I was a competitive swimmer, which meant practice every morning (at 6am ... outside) then races every weekend.
Your right about the hypnosis. After a few laps, you just kind of ... think. Movements become automatic. And that’s special. Like meditation. Unplugged. No informational inputs, only physical ones. I love the way you (and Julie) put it. Good for mind AND body. And humanizing -- kind of silly, going back and forth repeatedly. Silly = humanizing.
Hope you continue to enjoy it and to think. You’ve got me wondering now if all those hours in the pool during my “developmental youth” somehow changed the way my brain works -- for the better, I hope.
Thanks so much, Matt. And now that you mention it, I remember reading in your bio that you were/are a swimmer. I love "silly = humanizing"—so true! And I have zero doubt that those years in the pool changed you, both body and brain. I'm hoping for strength, tranquillity, and creative thinking!
Swimming for me is truly therapy, both body and mind therapy. There is something that is naturally healing whether I am in a pool, ocean, lake or hot tub. It doesn't matter if I am swimming laps, doing water aerobics, deep water floating, or attempting simple yoga positions in the shallow end - I need the water and it embraces me with strength, forgiveness and acceptance.
I'll remember these words on some blustery winter day when going to the pool seems like a hurdle too high (because I'm sure the day will come). Glad to hear swimming does such great things for you; thanks for letting me know.
I absolutely love this, Cheryl, and I am so enjoying your writing! I also have mad envy that you have made a life that allows you to do so much of it! I am putting that in my "Goals" column...
Ellen
Thank you, Ellen, I love that you're following along on my Substack journey! You do so much good work, and I've always enjoyed your night porch dispatches—so I approve of your goal to write more. I can imagine what that brilliant mind of yours might produce. Get to it! :-)
A beautiful post on jumping, literally, into unknown waters. So much to learn from you, Cheryl!
We'll learn together! Thanks for the sweet words, Kalpana.
Also loved the words you shared from Julie Otsuka!!!!
Have you read her books? She is astonishing!
I love imagining your life in Perugia! When my next book tour is done, if I'm not completely broke, I'm coming back to Italy to research my next book and learn Italian. Perugia is in my book!
Then you must come to Perugia! Very curious to hear about your next book. Perugia is the setting for my current WIP, btw!
I was terrified of the water as a child, even ran away from home so as not to be forced to take swimming lessons. To this day, I don't know how to swim. I keep telling myself that I should learn, but, at 62, I wonder if it's even necessary. Water and I have always have a distressingly adversarial relationship, and it defies logic to see that changing in the foreseeable future.
My wife and I were in Hawaii a year ago, and she coaxed me into a kayak. It will remain one of the great mistakes of my life- and certainly one of the most stressful afternoons I've experienced, though I did get to see things I wouldn't have otherwise.
I keep telling people, "This is why we have life preservers," hoping that such a pronouncement will draw a line in the sand, but it never does. And so the argument continues....🤷🏻♂️
I think it's normal to be afraid of water. I get freaked out by things under the surface of lakes, or the plants growing in ponds—yuck! I guess you don't need to learn if you don't plan to spend much time on or near water, but if more kayaking is in your future (sounds like it isn't), then yes, you should. And, I don't know, maybe it would be satisfying to overcome your fear? In any case, please stay safe!
What a beautiful consideration of swimming. I’m so glad you found it, and came to love it. Plus one to the doctor. Swimming makes you strong as hell.
From about age 8-20, all I did was swim. I was a competitive swimmer, which meant practice every morning (at 6am ... outside) then races every weekend.
Your right about the hypnosis. After a few laps, you just kind of ... think. Movements become automatic. And that’s special. Like meditation. Unplugged. No informational inputs, only physical ones. I love the way you (and Julie) put it. Good for mind AND body. And humanizing -- kind of silly, going back and forth repeatedly. Silly = humanizing.
Hope you continue to enjoy it and to think. You’ve got me wondering now if all those hours in the pool during my “developmental youth” somehow changed the way my brain works -- for the better, I hope.
Thanks for sharing 🏊🏼♂️
Thanks so much, Matt. And now that you mention it, I remember reading in your bio that you were/are a swimmer. I love "silly = humanizing"—so true! And I have zero doubt that those years in the pool changed you, both body and brain. I'm hoping for strength, tranquillity, and creative thinking!