Dec 01, 2012........back

Sports are by their nature competitive, but within each there is a great breadth of potential for the simplicity of play beyond swimming laps. Learning to swim opens another dimension below the water. There, the body can be weightless and free in ways that are otherwise impossible. In this image the swimmer is picking up a coin from the bottom of the deep end of the pool.

When I was young I was afraid of water, but as I adapted myself to it I found a great pleasure in my own improvement, such as how long I could hold my breath.

A pool of water is also beautiful in the way that water reflects light and how if feels on our skin.

As a metaphor, swimming suggest an important, and common injunction, "you have to get your feet wet". Meaning, you have to 'jump in', get going, move, and act. The passive observer will only see and experience so much. Placing ourselves in that medium is the critical first step. The same is true of any physical activity or practically any endeavor of life.