The Joy of Swimming

Saturday, November 23, 2013

As it is on a typical Saturday, I went swimming with Mom and Inge this evening. However, we left home late and got stuck in the traffic jam. When we finally arrived at the sports center, it was 6.30 already and the place was almost empty. There was only one kid with his mom in the children's pool and another guy in the cold-water one. So when the three of us got into the warm-water pool, it was like our private place! It was so nice not having to fight for your space in a crowded pool or to defend it against unruly kids. And the water was unusually clear today – bad things turning good!

I had a bad experience with swimming when I was a kid. It happened when I was about 4 and hadn't learned how to swim. I was playing on the side of the big public pool without any lifebuoy, and suddenly I got caught in the current. All I remember was that I swallowed what felt like a litter of water and nearly drowned. Luckily, my sister was there to save me. And better, I'm not even traumatic with water, because swimming turns out to be my favorite sport. Having spent the following 10 years having fun simply playing with water every time I went to the public pool, I finally started to learn how to swim when I was around 14, and I have always loved swimming since then.

Swimming to me is the activity that gives the sense of freedom as well as so much fun. It's a contentment to be able to move my body however I like it as if there was no boundary – it's probably the closest thing to flying – and It's such a joy to feel the water surrounding my body. It's fun to see the reflection of my hands from underwear, and how, when I stretch them out, it looks like I'm parting the water, a little bit like Moses. What's more fun is to breathe underwater and hear the gurgling of the bubbles, which I can also see, as if being inside a soda can and watching the fizz going up. And apart from the fact that it's healthy and that I don't have to sweat in the process, swimming is also relaxing. Every time I perform a backstroke, I swear that if I close my eyes for more than just one minute, I can simply fall asleep, there, lying on the pool. It's so quiet underwater, so peaceful that it feels like the world is all mine. And when the weather is warm as it was this evening, falling asleep with my arms leaning on the poolside was a serious temptation!

I'm only sorry that I didn't take my phone with me to capture the view. With the night lamps and pots of firs around, the pool looked beautifully tempting!

Maybe next time!