MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2024 SWIMMING

 MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2024 - SWIMMING

I really can’t remember learning how to swim.  I remember my parents going to Prairie Creek near Toddville, Iowa (my mother taught elementary school in Toddville before she married).  I was maybe five or six and I could float and dog paddle.  (Yes, I had plenty of body fat even then).  

I loved to ride my bike to the Ellis Park swimming pool (about three miles one way) to swim.  I worked at Ellis Park one summer.  I managed the swimming pool at the Keokuk Country Club one summer. I completed my WSI certification.  

I took a regular swimming class at Jefferson High School in the summer when I was sixteen.  (I remember swimming well - I also remember the day I forgot to bring clothes to change into when I was done and I had to ride my bike home in my wet swimsuit).  

I college I had three “C” grades.  The first two were in Freshman Composition I and II (I hope I’’m a better writer now).  The last “C” was in a tumbling class.  I wanted to learn enough tumbling so I could do dives and flips off the diving board at the swimming pool - but all I learned was that I was pretty awkward!!!

I’ve given up on swimming in the past few years.  My apartment complex has two swimming pools and I did swim laps in the pools.  After some swimming my right ear was clogged.  As I tried swimming more, my ear just got clogged again.  I might not be a cause-and-effect, but I opted to hear well instead of swimming.  (And a month ago - gulp - I got hearing aids!!!).

*****

I was recently reminded of an old adage: " Sink or swim.” It seemed like some parents (or maybe older brothers or sisters) threw a kid into the deep end and yelled, “Sink or swim!”

I don’t think the parents or older siblings were going to let the kid drown.  If it was a city pool, the lifeguards could jump in - but when I’ve seen it, the kid manages to dog paddle or swim to the edge and get out.  

Some kids are almost fish in the water.  (I was like that).  Others are scared of the water.  (My wife was that way).

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There are times in life when you have to sink or swim.  I think I’ve had my share.  

“Congratulations, Mr. White, you are the new Dean of the College of Business and Information Systems.”  (Huh - me a Dean?).  Congratulations, Dr. White, you are now a member of the Computing Accreditation Commission.” Congratulations, Dr. White, you are visiting Kazhstran for an accreditation visit.” “Congratulations, Dr. White, you are approved for a Fulbright visit to Belarus”. 

Those were kind of “sink or swim” times.  I guess I’ve tried to handle the new activity like I’m experienced.  

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How about you?  Did you cope well with new situations?  Did you “sink,” or did you swim?  

It seems that as we grow older, there are more things to adjust to. (Many are health-related.).  I have a friend who is getting a kidney transplant - she is scared but learning as much as she can.  They have a kidney donor - and I assured her that this was a common surgery these days.  I’m not sure if that gave her peace or not.  If it were me, yes, I’d be scared, but I think I would “swim” - “go with the flow”.

How we handle difficult situations is an important trait.  Can you approach things calmly?  

Will the Peace of God which passes understanding help you in tough situations?

LOVE WINS

LOVE TRANSFORMS

Karen Anne White, October 21, 2024