I am trying to take time out as much as I can these days to swim.
I got into swimming recently since I pulled my leg muscle while running and I was not able to run for some time.
One day I decided to make an effort to go to the pool nearby. An 1890 built British Victorian style British Leisure centre in Camberwell, London.
I kinda fell in love with the swim and the pool, the surrounding, and the feeling. Since then managing to take time out twice a week.
I am trying to gain muscle and usually I am at the gym 4 to 5 times a week. Swim is best cardio and best to stretch the muscle.
I do love running, jogging and doing other cardio things, which indeed make me sweat, but those also makes me so tried to push myself to the gym the next day.
So, I managed time to take some time out yesterday after work and went to the Camberwell Leisure Centre. It’s about 15 min bus ride from Vauxhall Tube Station in London.
It was Swim For Everyone Session time at the pool and it is a family pool. There were lot of kids in the pool. I found a slow straight lane for myself and entered the lane.
The pool guard lady, I have seen her a couple times before by the side of the pool.
All I heard while I was in the pool was her screaming at the kids all the times all the way from the corner where she was seated in her pool guard chair. “Excuse me, could you not do that”, “Excuse me, please stop”, then blow her whistle etc on and on…
It did not bother me that much but at one point while I was at resting from my swim, I told to myself, this lady seems like a cucu but she’s actually nice. I remember time ago I asked her something about something and she was very helpful and she is still here.
I completed my 20 laps in an hour. Went into the shower and left the swim.
On my way to the bus stop, I encountered the same pool guard lady waiting at the bus stop. She must have finished her shift.
She said to me, were you in the pool just now? I said, yes!
You should put your legs higher while doing the backstroke that will stabilise your body. I see your legs were inclined towards the bottom of the pool.
She explained it to me for another couple of minutes by the side of the road, how to keep body straight in the water.
I was speechless, I kinda judged her but I also told myself, no she’s nice. Even though she was busy screaming at kids, she was actually noticing what was going on in the pool and she actually paid attention to some stranger and she’s made an afford to give me a feedback.
How amazing is that? How often do we do that? How often do we correct things that we feel its not right and we should say something. Not that often I guess. Once because we are busy in our own world and then why would we bother to do that.
It really touched me. I am glad to have met her, I am glad to have had this experience.
Another little thing to brighten up my day.
I wish you all find joy in finding these things.
Thank you for reading.
Khaleem Ash
