Russ and I have gone through our years of marriage using nick-names for one another. Most recently he calls me Dover and I call him Lover. But for many years his nick-name for me was WEB, an apt name given my inclination to be in the water.
Perhaps because my father loved the water it became a part of my world. Or perhaps the zodiac symbol of water is true. Who knows! But water is a part of me.
From birth to 5 years:
- When we were very small my parents rented a very basic cabin each summer on a cove in Gloucester, MA. This was my first official water playground.
- I have been told that when I was 2 my father tossed me in the water, sort of a sink or swim test...I swam.
Elementary School years:
- Going to the YWCA each Saturday
- The humorous part of those years and the Y is you had to wear their swimsuits. They were red cotton! They stretched once wet and would swirl somewhere towards your knees.
- This was my first experience with synchronized swimming
- By 5 years old we had a pool in our back yard which we shared ownership with our neighbors the Greniers. The parents hired the swim coach from the YMCA to come to the pool and teach 9 kids to swim. I recall lots of bobbing in the deep end and lots of crawl stroke races.
- I began going to overnight camp in the third grade which included daily swim lessons.
High School years:
- Every summer was vacations to Cape Cod
- We had a pool in our back yard
- One of the 6 of us (who had completed life saving classes) always had to be willing to 'guard' the others in the pool. No guard, no swim.
- I continued to go to camp for a month every summer. Camp means swimming every day.
College years:
- I was on the University of Vermont's Synchronized swim team
- I taught swimming at the Vineyard Sailing Camp
As an adult:
- There were several trips to the Bahamas with Katie and Monday (private plane) which always included snorkeling or scuba.
- I taught water aerobics at the Sugarbush Sports Center for years.
- The Durango Rec Center has the best lap swimming pool I have ever experienced
- For four years I taught a Parkinson's water exercise class
- There have been multiple trips to Captiva Island with the Furtsches and they always revolve around the water.
Truly, water is my element
Here is what it says on Gaia.com. Very true.
THE WATER ELEMENT:
Emotional
Water is constantly flowing, with much of its activity happening below the surface. For Water people, while your outside may seem calm and collected, inside your emotions are in constant turmoil. You are compassionate and caring and can relate easily to others. You connect with people whole-heartedly, which can sometimes make you overly trusting. When spread too thin you are ineffectual, but when collected and focused you are a force to be reckoned with. You see life as a journey and every movement you make is part of a definite path (though sometimes an unexpected one).
However, your ability to connect so deeply also makes you prone to carrying other people’s burdens. This compassion for others leaves your own needs neglected. Too many built up negative emotions can lead to depression and often addiction. Your emotions ebb and flow, making you sometimes volatile and irrational. You often feel the need to bring up deep topics during lighthearted situations, much to the annoyance of others. You must find balance in learning to help others and learning to help yourself in order to find harmony.