Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Station Five... continued

So I wrote about my "trauma" as a child at Station Five. Remember the summer swim lessons? The angst of not going on to Station Six or Seven?

Sometimes my body feels like I am the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz with no frickin oil! So, my daughter, knowing the benefits of a water workout, has bought me 20 visits to the neighborhood pool. That's right, they call it lap swim. Oh joy.

After careful consideration I figured what do I have to lose except the muffin top? I was older. I was wiser. And I KNEW I could do the lap thing AND keep my face out of the water if I wanted to. It's called a backstroke. So I agreed and embarked on overcoming the Station Five mentality that has haunted me for so long.

First morning I get into the SLOW lane with an elderly lady and another woman. I thought that it would be a "safe" lane to "test the waters" with to gauge my fitness level and ability. Technically one is supposed to swim on the right, sort of like driving a car, and go in a circle. I lowered myself into the water and started doing a little make-shift side stroke (with my head above the water of course) allowing enough space behind the elderly woman, or so I thought. Before I knew it, she had zoomed to one end of the pool and was heading back... right at me...on my side! She could not see me as she was doing the backstroke, MY stroke! I quickly did an about face and paddled back to the edge of the pool. Perhaps I would wait until she was done...and my ego had recuperated. Nothing like someone 20 years older (or more!)almost running me over in the slow lane to have a reality check! To make matters worse when I left the pool, I was still in a dither from my ineptness and lack of fitness that I went to use the toilet and automatically put down the protective seat cover paper.
Not good.
Especially when one is still totally wet from being in the pool.

I guess I am going to have to work extra hard to break free from Station Number Five.

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