Well, I did it. I went swimming yesterday with my friend, Lisa – a first for me in about two decades. [I can’t hear your applause from here…would you mind clapping a little louder please?]
Once I got over the embarrassment of having to wear a smelly old bathing suit and got in the water, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Lisa went straight into a lane and swam non-stop laps for the 45 minutes we were there – whoa, that woman is a machine.
I, on the other hand, stayed in the open pool area and decided to be playful as I reacquainted myself with the sport.
I floated, I treaded water, I experimented with a kick board and fins and I propelled myself out of the water like a jumping fish. I seriously had a great time. The lifeguard probably thought I was nuts, but that’s okay, I had her full attention, which is a good thing when you’re not used to swimming.
When I floated on my back, I closed my eyes, let my legs relax and let my arms do all the work and flap like wings beneath the surface. Ahh, what a great feeling! I felt like I was flying until I kept bumping my head into the side of the pool (more entertainment for the lifeguard).
When we were in the locker room, I told Lisa that I don’t think I hate swimming after all. It’s just that I dislike the idea of all those germs swimming around with me. But I’ll get over it – that was way too much fun to keep me from doing it again.
So, now I need to fit swimming into my schedule and make it a habit; not once a day, but perhaps a few times a week (kind of like blogging!). And even though my old bathing suit smells like rotting rubber, I’m keeping it close to help motivate me – wish me luck! 
