2.15.2012

no man drowns if he perseveres in praying to God, and can swim

January 15: inane
The average conversation in my workplace varies between three areas: popular culture (dresses at the awards shows; who's dating whom in the celebrity world; and which actress it was, y'know, who was in that one movie with, y'know, that one guy?); intellectual and philosophical debate (why the books that are worth reading are, in fact, worth reading; what it means to be 'thoughtful' or 'educated' or to have 'spirituality' [as opposed to - or perhaps more accurately as compared to - faith]; and what the things that we've read and films we've watched and even music we've heard has come to mean to us, and how it's changed and formed us, as individuals); and the truly inane (my endless droning about how Curious George isn't a goddamned monkey because he doesn't have a tail; observations that we all often talk without bothering to listen to what the others are saying; and today, a surreal and nearly day-long thread about Valentine-themed head-covering for a ceramic skull.  

February 15: cloying
I prefer honest disdain to patently artificial cloying, thanks.


  1. At what age (if at all) did you learn to swim?
    I was first in water over my head before I started school, but I first took "lessons" as part of physical education classes in junior high (seventh grade).
  2. Some educators have proposed that swimming lessons be mandatory for children. Do you think this is a good idea?
    absolutely. Anyone who lives near water - any water - should learn at least the basics for saving him/herself from drowning his (potential) rescuer in the event of an accident or worse. Bridge collapses happen. Floods happen. Stupidity happens. Leaving it up to someone else to save me, when I can potentially at least try to save myself? That's not going to happen.
  3. How often do you hang out with friends at a swimming pool?
    when my friends have swimming pools, I'm there. I love the water. I'm still not a great swimmer - I never will be - but I love to get wet, love to be around it. More under natural circumstances than pools, but I'll take what I can get.
  4. Have you ever been thrown into a pool with your clothes on?
    I don't think so? I wouldn't like it. Not because I'm concerned about my clothes so much, but just because that sort of behavior is juvenile and dangerous.
  5. How often do you visit a beach?
    see above - whenever possible!
  6. When were you last in a boat?
    it's been a while; fewer of my friends have boats than have [access to] pools.

[from The Cat, who got it here; the title quotation is a Russian proverb]

7 comments:

  1. Hmmm, I have periods of wishing my parents had thrown me into deep water at age 2 so I could learn to swim. OTOH, maybe they did, and that's where my deep-seated loathing for bottomless water came from?

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  2. I think that such an action might result in more loathing for the parent than for the water. Both of my niece's kids have had infant swim lessons and they're both in LOVE with the water. I don't get it, from a developmental standpoint, but I do think it's great that that fear won't be part of their makeup.

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  3. And by the way, that illogical/insane phobia of mine (aha, I do have one) is why Sparky got swimming lessons from as young as they would have him in classes.

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  4. I think that all phobias have a root in logic - people really do die of this stuff, after all, so why is the fear so "irrational"? - but sometimes we're able to overcome it in practical ways. In other words: good for Sparky, and for you.

    On a vaguely related vein: I was kissed rather deeply by a Boston terrier earlier this week. I was apparently just what he wanted in life. Who knew?

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  5. Boston Terrier kisses are perhaps not the best dog kisses, imho.

    And yes, re "good for" us.

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  6. He had rather bad aim and got most of it up my nose.

    Ahem.

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