Swimmer Stipple

A Diary of Swims and Poems from the Water

Swimming one mile takes me about an hour, and for a long time, I gaged my experience by how many laps I had swum. Once I got to 36, the mile mark, I would quit swimming.

I talked to a lifeguard who is a veteran of the Iraq war and was touched by his humility. He said if I want motivational advice not to talk with him. But he told me his routine involves swimming at whatever pace he feels like for about an hour. I began wondering if I could do that, to swim like I did when I was a child, just for swimming's sake. Just because it feels so wonderful.

I did it the last time I was in the pool, and I can't wait to do it again.

©2018 Maggie Hess (P)2018 Maggie Hess