Friday, May 1, 2015

Revolution: Webfoot's Nemesis


Revolution: it's personal.
A former lover used to say that I didn't have proper toes,
that I got "toe buds" on the ends of my short, 
wide feet. I have just enough foot to keep me from
tipping over when I walk, thank you. They serve.
These days, scarred and callused, they help
propel me through the water as I swim.

With the Natatorium undergoing renovations,
I now go to the pool at Butler University for practice.
Most evenings, the narrow lanes are crowded
with other swimmers. With so many people at practice 
we need to share the lanes, circling down one side, 
back on the other. The place is my nemesis:
if I am going to be hurt while swimming this
is generally where it happens. 


The other night, I hit, or was hit, by another swimmer,
jamming a knuckle and jarring an already sore shoulder.
It hurt and was swollen and numb. I was a whiney 
bitch and took my hurt feelings and swollen
hand home to reconsider my position.
 I have goals I want to achieve and I need 
to not let little knocks and scrapes annoy me. 
I decided I should just pull on my big girl panties
and get over it. I returned to the pool the next night
to swim a little harder.

Besides (and here's where the "revolution" part
comes in), I decided I was having a white girl,
"first world" problem. The facility at Butler is in
a beautiful, well-equipped student recreation
center that's less than ten years old -- and I was kvetching 
because I did not have access to the world class 
facility where I am used to swimming. 
In a world where so many people do not have access 
to clean water to drink, where their rivers 
are cesspools of fecal matter, where the water 
is rationed or where people have no water at all,
I have my choice of places that are full of the 
beautiful blue stuff.
So ... "Get over it, doofus!"


"Revolution" is the monthly theme for
the bloggers of City Daily Photo. To see how others
from all over the world have interpreted the theme,
just click on the above link, or on the CDP badge
to the right of this post.



8 comments:

Peter van den Besselaar said...

Speedway,Laughing Out Loud!

Rob Siemann said...

Funny!

Loire Daily Photo said...

I've swum in a lot of pools in a lot of countries and I reckon they are all the same in terms of potential harm from other swimmers! The only way is to have your own lane. It was on my list of priorities when I was buying a house but other things got in the way. Now I cycle and power walk instead ...
I'm glad you had your revolution though.

William Kendall said...

You've chosen a good way to interpret the theme.

I have access to a very good pool on campus, Olympic sized, and I go several nights a week when it's quiet. It's such good exercise, helps me unwind.

Jack said...

You have an unusual and thoughtful approach to the "revolution" theme. Yup, many of us in the USA have it pretty good and don't reflect enough on our advantages.

Jim said...

Interesting one.

PerthDailyPhoto said...

Excellent post SDP.. Like yourself I often have to pull myself up when I find myself annoyed by unimportant things and remind myself that I really don't have anything to legitimately complain about. Keep doing those laps and seriously, there's nothing wrong with your feet, you're rocking that snazzy nail polish :)

Julie said...

Very enjoyable post to read, Sara. I have never been a swimmer, but I have been, on occasion, a whiney, white, first-world bitch. Pulling up panties is a good way to get over oneself.