8th April 2021 - Adventurous

One of my best friends came to visit today. We planned to walk on the heath and then to warm up with a coffee. It was grey and brisk.

I brought my swimming costume just in case we walked past the Ladies’ pond and she didn’t mind a quick detour. I debated texting to ask her if she wanted to swim too, but assumed she wouldn’t. She isn’t known for being ‘outdoorsy’.

But when I collected her from the station and asked if she’d mind us going via the pond she said, “Oh I should have brought my swimming costume!”

“I’ve got extras. If you want, we can go and collect one for you? Sorry I didn’t think you’d want to swim!”

“Well, I’m feeling adventurous today!”

Her adventurous mood is contagious, and this is now an expedition.

***

We walk back to mine to collect the swimming costumes and an extra towel and pair of wooly gloves before heading to the Ladies’ pond.

When we get there, I suggest she have a look before deciding whether she wants to pay for a swim or not. But she wants to pay, “that way I’ll be more committed.”

We change and pick our way from the meadow to the pond. She wears her puffer coat over her swimming costume and shivers, “I already feel cold and I’m just walking there!”

“You really don’t have to go in if you don’t feel like it. And if you do get in, you can get straight back out if you like. See how you go, there’s no pressure.”

We let the lifeguard know that my friend is a new swimmer and she is encouraging. “Just swim to the other steps then. You’ll be fine.”

I get in first and tread water. I feel a pang of worry and sympathy. It is very cold at the moment. Probably the worst time of year to start swimming. I hope she won’t hate it.

She gets in and gasps. She seems not to know what to do. It looks like she is immobilised.

The lifeguard calmly encourages her, “that’s it love, just swim across here”, and walks above her, along the edge of the water. This seems to do the trick. My friend, gasping occasionally, with a very serious expression on her face, swims haltingly to the other steps and pulls herself out. I wait, watching her wrap up in the towels and her puffer coat. “Are you ok?”

“Yes”, she gives me a thumbs up, but her expression is stony.

I do my lap.

I am amazed that she got in so quickly and did the swim. I feel proud of her, but also a bit worried. She is still sitting on the bench, getting colder and colder.

I swim quickly so as to get back and accompany her to the meadow. It is so important to get dressed as fast as you can after swimming, but it seems to take new swimmers a while to understand this.

I debate ducking my head. I washed my hair this morning and it will be cold and dripping for the rest of our walk if I do. But I know that the feeling is worth it. I emerge with brighter eyes and that elusive, alive calmness that I only get from submerging.

We walk back to the meadow together. “That was a lot colder than I expected! But maybe that was good? I might not have got in if I knew it was going to be that cold!”

We get dressed in the meadow, chatting and buzzing from the swim. Wrapped up in puffers and gloves, elated and together, we set off for coffee and warmth.

This is becoming a season of sharing the pond with new swimmers :-)