As most of my dearest friends are aware, I spent a great deal of my childhood and early adolescence in a swimming pool. To be exact, I began my "serious" competitive swimming career at age nine and didn't come to a full stop until my junior year of college at age 21. (Of course the nostalgia is running rampant with the ongoing Olympics).
The early years were fun and full of fresh adventure, but soon after my fourteenth birthday the novelty was a distant memory and bitterness set in. I hated swimming. I hated that I had to go to practice every day while my peers led their carefree lives. I remember my coach giving us a speech, telling us that while we might think of our lives as boring and regimented, surely there were hundreds of kids who would have preferred to be in our shoes. I still beg to differ.
In spite of my misery and bratty disregard for the sacrifices my parents made to support me in my athletic endeavors, I was afforded reasonable success. Nevertheless, extenuating circumstances and life-challenges ensued, bringing my rise to stardom to a screeching halt. But to this day, my greatest friends are those I met while swimming. For them, all that was endured was more than worth it. Kerry, Mark, Susan, Caroline and Scott - you are my treasures, gifted to me perhaps for enduring the Bob practices we grew to hate. You are all forever close to my heart.
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1 comment:
Sniff sniff. That's so sweet it's giving me cavities!
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