I think it began when people would say, "I can't imagine swimming all day!" I realized that I had imagined myself into becoming a long distance swimmer. I certainly didn't know that I could swim and swim and swim, no matter how much I like the water. I had no training or background in swim clubs and swim meets. But I did have training in Imagination. It goes back to my childhood when my mother would tell me that I could fall asleep easier if I thought about what I would like to do the next day, or how I could write a story or anything like that. Every since childhood I have been imagining my life. I had never really put this all together until I was doing the swim. This concept called Imagination is akin to the Army's slogan, "Be all that you can be". And you don't have to join the Army to find your Imagination.
Another Life lesson from the swim has to do with jumping to conclusions. Everyone does it, but not everyone has the opportunity to see that there are more than one way to jump to conclusions.
When I met this person who had volunteered to crew the Swim, I jumped to the conclusion that I didn't particularly care for his personality. He seemed to be quite a know it all and besides, talked alot about himself and his adventures. A day on the river in a kayak with him nearly drove me crazy. And that was also the day that I saw the error of my ways. There was much more to him. He really cares about people and doesn't want any harm to come them. His fierce love of nature and people were demonstrated many times I saw him in action. The gift he gave me, probably unwittingly, is that he helped me see that jumping to conclusions is a very risky thing to do--much more so than a swim in the Huron River for sure! Furthermore, if I hadn't realized what he was really saying and doing, I would have missed out in knowing a fantastic, imaginative person. The loss, really, would have been mine.
Stories always come in threes, so the final one in this Life Lessons from the Swim must be about the intrinsic value we gain when we volunteer. There were 50 volunteers on the river throughout the 14 days of swimming. There were at least that many more that helped the staff--people like Elsie, Eric, Inger's husband and friends who took care of her so she could take care of me, and countless more. One that stands out is Mark Clancy, an airline pilot who lives on Ford Lake and is on sick leave while he has some cancer treatments. While he knows that his cancer is not curable, it can be treated. His personal story is not unlike the lake he loves. Ford Lake may not ever be pure and free of blue green algae blooms in late July, but he is working very hard to convince the people with the power of the purse to at least treat it right so that it will be clear of some of its problems. Mark is taking his treatments to stay alive; he would also like Ford Lake to have the treatments it needs to also stay healthy.
The swim has been a beautiful experience. I know so much more about the river, and especially about the people who love it, take care of it, and play in and on it. Let's celebrate the 40 years of clean up that the Watershed has led and help them make the next 40 years see the end of degraded water anywhere in the 'shed.
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