Returning to Swimming in the Atlantic
A few weeks ago, I went ocean swimming. That may not sound like much, except that I had not swum in the Atlantic for over two decades. I learned to swim in the ocean as a child. Not in a swimming pool. In the Atlantic. The rough North Atlantic. The kind with rocks, tides, currents, fishermen, and weather that can change its mood very quickly. Pool swimming and sea swimming are not the same thing. A pool is controlled. The Atlantic is not. The first time I returned to the water, I did not know if I would actually swim. I sat by the surf. Let the water reach me. Then walked in. Then, at some point, I was swimming. The knowledge was still there. Not competitive swimming knowledge. Not sports club knowledge. Sea knowledge. A few days later, I returned. The tide was higher. The waves were stronger. I stayed close to shore. Swam a little. Watched the water. Learned the beach. Then, last week, I went back again. I arrived early morning. There was almost nobody there. Just a...
