Water, no matter how well we can swim, is healing. Whether we are diving head first into our favorite childhood lake with our very best friends, or sitting alone while the ocean waves lap at our feet and pull the sand from beneath our toes. Perhaps it is love, grief, and wonder. Admiration of water's ability to exist and just be that brings us comfort and inspires the fondest memories to emerge from the corners of our minds. To drink and nourish, float and flourish. I can practically feel it now.
I am from Portugal and swimming is one of my favourite things. Although I live near the coast, a ten minute walk to the beach, every summer I go to the river beaches near the mountains. I love to do a backstroke watching the tops of the trees above me.
Thank you, Cheryl. Memories rush back to swimming in Bush Lake, the closest one to our home in Bloomington, Minnesota. My brother once found a dead catfish floating on the lake, and when I reached out to touch it, he slapped at me, and one of its spines went into my hand. I got blood poisoning from that and nearly died.
In winter, I would walk on top of Penn Lake on my way to junior high. Once I tried to cross too early in the season, and the cracking ice sent me scurrying back to the shore.
My kids growing up in Portland also had to learn to swim in chlorinated water.
I grew up on a farm with a beautiful creek that ran through it, so I also spent long summers in the water. Many years later I loved back to the area to raise my children, and had the joy of rediscovering a different part of the same river, the thrill of diving in, the sloughing off of the day with all of its little angsts, the pure restoration of a freshwater creek.
Your description of the water and swimming as a kid brought me back to childhood, when I lived in the water all summer! As an adult, I somehow became a huge wimp if the water wasn't the temp of a bath. I'm doing better - making myself plunge in the lake with my daughter during these summer months of New Hampshire. So invigorating!
Hello again - I’m the lady who moved to Portland a little over a year ago and you introduced me to Suzy Vitello. (Thank you. 🙏🏼) Of note for swimming: I just discovered Dougan Falls on the Washougal River Road. That road seemed like a reliable place to find something beautiful and relatively easy and not far from the city (and surrounded by wineries.) But I hear you that it’s nothing like living near 10,000 lakes! When we lived in Austin, it was so easy to find a watering hole and easy to jump in. I miss that, too. I miss my soppy-ass swimsuit and my crazy river hair.
I bet your friend Yuknavitch knows some sweet swimming spots around here. 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼 🏊🏻
I was in Gabriola Island last week! Had the most amazing experience as a humpback whale played with the Zodiac boat I was in. I grew up as your neighbor in Wisconsin, on a family farm near a small town without a swimming pool. I learned how to swim in college, and I’m still not comfortable if I can’t see the bottom. Have a swim for those of us who only dare to wade in waist high waters.
Loved your swimming saga. As a young boy, I grew up on the Allegheny River near Pittsburgh, PA. We had a summer cottage near Oakmont. We were in the river all summer. The cottage featured a place to learn volleyball and pingpong too. I got good at swimming and joinend my high school team. I became a letterman, scoring lots of points as we competed with other Pittsburgh area schools. I took the safety programs so I could officially wear my LIFEGUARD badge. Earned a few bucks at our local swimming pool. Secured a small scholarship to swim at college. But then I discovered girls, Lambda Chi Alpha, dancing and keg parties. Like you, my swimming faded somewhat, although I routinely do a few thousand laps as my cardio in winter. As our 2 sons showed interest, we drove them all over the SE USA for competitions. So many ribbons and awards. My wife and I wintered in Barbados for 3 winters, a month each time. There I swam with those huge turtles. Amazing. We have visited Oregon so many times over the decades. My son Matt lives there with our granddaughter and now our new great granddaughter. We love Powell's Books. Epic store with over 3,000,000 books! As your newest follower, thanks for your efforts to inspire and train others.
Water, no matter how well we can swim, is healing. Whether we are diving head first into our favorite childhood lake with our very best friends, or sitting alone while the ocean waves lap at our feet and pull the sand from beneath our toes. Perhaps it is love, grief, and wonder. Admiration of water's ability to exist and just be that brings us comfort and inspires the fondest memories to emerge from the corners of our minds. To drink and nourish, float and flourish. I can practically feel it now.
I am from Portugal and swimming is one of my favourite things. Although I live near the coast, a ten minute walk to the beach, every summer I go to the river beaches near the mountains. I love to do a backstroke watching the tops of the trees above me.
I love you because you are more like myself than I am.
——Wuthering Heights (written by Emily Brontë)
Thank you, Cheryl. Memories rush back to swimming in Bush Lake, the closest one to our home in Bloomington, Minnesota. My brother once found a dead catfish floating on the lake, and when I reached out to touch it, he slapped at me, and one of its spines went into my hand. I got blood poisoning from that and nearly died.
In winter, I would walk on top of Penn Lake on my way to junior high. Once I tried to cross too early in the season, and the cracking ice sent me scurrying back to the shore.
My kids growing up in Portland also had to learn to swim in chlorinated water.
Thanks for writing with I feel about swimming!
I grew up on a farm with a beautiful creek that ran through it, so I also spent long summers in the water. Many years later I loved back to the area to raise my children, and had the joy of rediscovering a different part of the same river, the thrill of diving in, the sloughing off of the day with all of its little angsts, the pure restoration of a freshwater creek.
Your description of the water and swimming as a kid brought me back to childhood, when I lived in the water all summer! As an adult, I somehow became a huge wimp if the water wasn't the temp of a bath. I'm doing better - making myself plunge in the lake with my daughter during these summer months of New Hampshire. So invigorating!
Empty Nesters! How has time gone so quickly?!?
Cheryl, HUGE FAN. Wild inspired me to write my memoir. Glad you’re here and look forward to reading EVERYTHING you share.
Hello again - I’m the lady who moved to Portland a little over a year ago and you introduced me to Suzy Vitello. (Thank you. 🙏🏼) Of note for swimming: I just discovered Dougan Falls on the Washougal River Road. That road seemed like a reliable place to find something beautiful and relatively easy and not far from the city (and surrounded by wineries.) But I hear you that it’s nothing like living near 10,000 lakes! When we lived in Austin, it was so easy to find a watering hole and easy to jump in. I miss that, too. I miss my soppy-ass swimsuit and my crazy river hair.
I bet your friend Yuknavitch knows some sweet swimming spots around here. 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼 🏊🏻
Swimming is the very best thing there is. I love when people discover or rediscover this.
I was in Gabriola Island last week! Had the most amazing experience as a humpback whale played with the Zodiac boat I was in. I grew up as your neighbor in Wisconsin, on a family farm near a small town without a swimming pool. I learned how to swim in college, and I’m still not comfortable if I can’t see the bottom. Have a swim for those of us who only dare to wade in waist high waters.
This was an epic read... love hearing about your mom. And... you were to Gabriola? xo a reader from Vancouver Island
I live in Washington now and this piece made me nostalgic for the Wisconsin lakes of my childhood. 🛶
Loved your swimming saga. As a young boy, I grew up on the Allegheny River near Pittsburgh, PA. We had a summer cottage near Oakmont. We were in the river all summer. The cottage featured a place to learn volleyball and pingpong too. I got good at swimming and joinend my high school team. I became a letterman, scoring lots of points as we competed with other Pittsburgh area schools. I took the safety programs so I could officially wear my LIFEGUARD badge. Earned a few bucks at our local swimming pool. Secured a small scholarship to swim at college. But then I discovered girls, Lambda Chi Alpha, dancing and keg parties. Like you, my swimming faded somewhat, although I routinely do a few thousand laps as my cardio in winter. As our 2 sons showed interest, we drove them all over the SE USA for competitions. So many ribbons and awards. My wife and I wintered in Barbados for 3 winters, a month each time. There I swam with those huge turtles. Amazing. We have visited Oregon so many times over the decades. My son Matt lives there with our granddaughter and now our new great granddaughter. We love Powell's Books. Epic store with over 3,000,000 books! As your newest follower, thanks for your efforts to inspire and train others.
How did the state bird, namely, mosquitoes not pack you away?