Positive Peer Pressure

Can go a long way, evidentally.

Yesterday, we met up at Big Stacy Pool. I arrived promptly but ended up wasting 15min looking for a parking spot. And as I finally walked into the pool premises, I stared in horror at the scene before me - a pool teeming with hormonal teenagers and screaming kids. It reminded me of the pizza party at St. Stephen's pool last year (remember that, steph?) during one of our swim training sessions. I cringed.

Iti and I looked at each other, and she said, you know, I could go back to my apt pool.. Just then, I spotted the Stephanies. They had already begun and waved enthusiastically.

"The water looks disgusting, and the pool is too crowded. I'm not feelin' it" I complained to StepheR, as I examined the murky water and floating debris (human or nature?). She looked at me as if I had lost my mind. "Get into the pool, let's go" I sighed and got in, reluctantly. Iti stayed on the peripheral, still unsure. My first lap was on kickboard. I could barely see the bottom of the pool at the deep end. Water tasted kind of salty (?!!) I spent the next few laps thinking about the mould on the lane dividers, how I had to share the lane with four other people, observing suspicious-looking debris and averting my gaze from the dirt that had collected at the bottom of the pool.

As I whined to StepheR for the third time, she shot me a sharp look, as if to say - quit being a wuss and do your thing. And that kept me going. Magically, by my 6th lap, I had stopped focusing on the filth & noise, and started feelin' it - the swish of the water as I took long strokes, the gentle motion of rolling side-to-side, as I glided across the pool. It felt good to be back in the swim of the things.

We discussed strokes & techniques, we laughed, we took pics as we celebrated our first group swim. And as we walked back to our cars, I told StepheR if it weren't for her, I would have fled the crowded pool on sight. Her parting shot was truly Zen, "I guess we have to find our inner clear, silent pool and practice there.." :)