I have recently rediscovered the joy of Swimming at my local YMCA. Bringing back such fond memories of my love for it as a kid. I remember when my family first moved from Memphis to Tallahassee, Florida for my Dad's Job with the Federal Prison System in 1980. We lived at the Days Inn on the corner of Apalachee Parkway and Capital Circle for a couple of Months while my parents house hunted. One of my favorite things to do besides following around my favorite housekeeping lady around was going swimming at the crack of dawn. I am not kidding, I could barely stand it waiting for my parents to awake. Sitting by the air conditioner window unit and peeking out the center crack of the light blocking curtains counting the minutes that my mom would take me down to the pool courtyard.
When she would finally rise. We would head down the open hallway stairs, with sound of the clippity clop of my flip flops and her carrying two pristinely white bleached Motel towels behind me. The pool courtyard was like a little paradise. Perfectly groomed grass, meticulously lined beach loungers and Palm trees at each corner of the pool. It was a usual sweltering summer and the mornings light glistening on the freshly clean pool water was so wonderfully inviting. There was just nothing like jumping in and being enveloped in that cool water and the overpowering smell of the chlorine.
I loved floating and splashing around in the shallow end. Closing my eyes and feeling the sun on my face as the water rippled around me. Pool perfection.
Then adolescent insecurity eventually took away my joy for water. I Remember swimming in Junior High and how traumatizing it was around your peers if you were less than perfect at that age. Eventually in high school I dabbled in the joy of swimming with my best friend at the Y or with my job working with kids during the summer. But, I didn't recapture that pool passion completely ever again until now. One thing I have learned from finding joy in exercise again- Try it all. Push yourself out of your comfort zone and experiment with all kind of fitness. If I would of just stuck with walking or strength training. Yawn... I would of given up by now on the exercise thing. the first two weeks at the Y I tried about everything. Did cycling again. Nope didn't dig that anymore. Then strength training. Boring!!! I would rather find alternatives to building muscle. * I still do my sit-ups and crunches:) I did try Zumba and completely enjoy that and the creme de la creme of fitness love- Swimming!!!!! I do laps continuously for about 1 hour now about 5 times a week. I only began with 20 minutes and worked my way up! The benefits have been amazing not only physically, but emotionally. Great thinking and planning time! Physically I have noticed more strength and tone. I love the way my muscles feel working against the water. The pool atmosphere itself I rather enjoy. It was built in the early 1960's and I love the pool decor of pastel geometric tiles of ice blue, light yellow, green and orange. Now if only I would look over and see Don Draper of Mad Men swimming laps next to me. Wink. But, I do daydream of getting a vintage fancy swimming cap and bathing suit:)
But, for now I am beyond happy to have found my fitness groove:) Totally curious what is yours? Happy Swimming Sunday. Love, C.
*** Vintage Swimming Images by the great Tom Palumbo and Slim Aarons.








