He reaches his hands up and over the side of the pool. He struggles to pull himself over the edge. His round belly fights the ledge but eventually his body prevails and he is on the pool deck.
He is exhausted.
He just finished a distance event. Let’s call it 8 laps of the pool for those that are less familiar with the laps to meters conversion rate (myself included).
A few minutes earlier, he climbed onto the blocks. He is surrounded on all sides by other young men. Their bodies are longer and leaner. He is much shorter, round and probably heavier. They look like they were meant to glide through water. He does not.
The whistle blows and they all jump in the pool. This is the only time he will be close to them.
There is a loud cheer. Then another. Again and again… there are bursts of celebration as the hands of the swimmers touch that wall.
There is but one swimmer left and the pool has swallowed him. The water must be holding him down as he fights to move his body to the other side. He has two laps left.
The stands are mostly silent. Everyone notices. You can’t not see. His family lets out a yell rooting him on every few seconds. They cannot help him. No one can help him.
He is half-naked and alone.
Swimming is cruel. You have to finish the distance. The skill of the others don’t impact the duration of the event for you like in other sports. You have to finish, regardless of how long it takes you.
He finishes. The crowd cheers. They are happy for him and also relieved that the suffering they witnessed is now over.
What is it inside of us that will allow us to put ourselves in an un-winnable situation? Or better put, what was it inside of him? What is it in children and even less often in adults that allows for this?
Where does it go, I wonder.
Would this not be considered courage? Would this not be the same muscle we would use if we needed to speak up to an employer or a spouse or a friend? To speak out about a cause that isn’t just. To fight, for yourself or your family or an ideal. Isn’t it?!
Would this not be considered grit? Is this not the same muscle that we would use to start eating heathy and going to the gym even though is it is hard and inconvenient? What about starting a business, wouldn’t this be how you fight through the hardships? Isn’t it?!
Would this not be confidence? Is this not the same muscle that we would use to give that presentation, to write that post or to enter that competition? Is it?!
It is the same.
Maybe the problem is that we forget. We lose that fire. We are out of practice.
When was the last time I was half-naked and alone in front of an audience? Never. When was the last time you were?
What are those opportunities that we can test and condition ourselves to operate in this fashion. To try, to try publicly, to try even though you know you will lose, even though you are not meant for that water, you jump in anyway and you swim, and you finish.
Maybe if we spent more time half-naked and alone we could regain some of these noble characteristics to be used when we are fully clothed and comfortable in our everyday.
His season has just begun.
His school will have a dozen or so more meets. Maybe we will see him again.
He will compete in many events.
He will likely lose them all.
But he will finish them.
When is the next time you will be half-naked and alone?
