Mermaid and Mermen

Early Saturday morning, I went to join other members 

of IAM for a swim practice at the Riviera Club 

on the near north side of Indy. I've been doing this 

for just over a year now. When I first went to Rivi, I could

not swim a full length of the pool (fifty yards)

without stopping about half way to catch my breath 

gather my nerve. On this day, I did most  of

the workout and was slightly chagrined

that the coach on deck did not ask me for more.

We began at eight in the morning and,

ninety minutes later, as I dried off in the spring-like

morning air, I looked over to see the little mermaid

floating in one of the kiddie pools. 

While a cartoonist's version of a female figure,

she nevertheless reflected the same version

of the body I still dream of attaining;

even in late middle age, I find myself affected

by years of social conditioning that

I need to look a certain way in order to

be attractive to men. What the hell?

This time a year ago, I could not swim 

seventy-five feet. I've since lost weight amounting 

to five dress sizes, I can swim over a mile 

without stopping, and I'm looking for more distance;

I want to swim three miles in the near future,

over six miles as the next goal, with longer-distance

open water swims as a main goal. 

 But, really, I still just want to be pretty.