far too much writing, far too many photos

runswithscissors


Monday, February 20, 2006

[continued from entry of February 17]

The pool had cleared out some as daylight faded, the scene growing more tranquil. I floated, propelled by a leisurely backstroke, overcome with an expanding sensation of well-being. A bit disproportionate to the situation maybe, but there it was, overriding just about everything else -- a feeling of freedom like I hadn't experienced in a while. A long while. In part, probably sparked by the sudden sensory opening out after spending the last two months out in wintertime northeast Vermont, in the middle of beautiful nowhere, feeling fairly constricted by cold, snow, lack of input. In part. It seemed to go far deeper than that, though, strangely so.

Mulling it over later, this occurred to me: a substantial part of my younger years were spent on the Hudson, where my family had land. From the age of four on, the warm season was spent with the river as the passing days' backdrop, from 18 on that became the family home, the 'rents having fled downstate, building a home there in the woods, the river a major presence in day-to-day life. Huge amounts of time were spent by the water, swimming, in small boats, laying on our small dock, the slightest breeze producing a gentle, tranquilizing rocking motion (the dock's outser section a float, mounted on barrels, responding to the smallest rippling of the river's surface). The smell of water, the feel of it -- all fundamental to existence for many years.

The first three summers post-high school were spent working at Jones Beach on Long Island, a whole different thing in some ways, but water once again a basic part of life. One summer after that was spent in a small town 90 miles north of N.Y.C., a pit stop between Seattle and Manhattan, my then wife and I passing big chunks of the days at the town pool. Not the same as the river or the Atlantic, but not bad. Sunlight, water. High diving boards. And the company of someone dear to me.

And then: nothing. I've lived all over the map, have never again found myself close to water in the same kind of intimate, daily-basis way. I've had friends who've been into the indoor swimming pool thing, I've tried it now and then: it's never done it for me. (No sunlight, no sky, no open air.) And I've gradually forgotten about the pleasure, the fundamental rightness of being around and in water.

Until Wednesday, when my body found itself waking up, overjoyed in a way it hasn't been for a long time. Don't know what I'll wind up doing with this information. It's good data to have, though -- I'll be curious to see what I do with it.


[continued in entry of February 22]


Espaņa, te echo de menos.

rws 1:48 PM [+]
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BLATHERINGS

August 2001
September 2001
October 2001
November 2001
December 2001
January 2002
February 2002
March 2002
April 2002
May 2002
June 2002
July 2002
August 2002
September 2002
October 2002
November 2002
December 2002
January 2003
February 2003
March 2003
April 2003
May 2003
June 2003
July 2003
August 2003
September 2003
October 2003
November 2003
December 2003
January 2004
February 2004
March 2004
April 2004
May 2004
June 2004
July 2004
August 2004
September 2004
October 2004
November 2004
December 2004
January 2005
February 2005
March 2005
April 2005
May 2005
June 2005
July 2005
August 2005
September 2005
October 2005
November 2005
December 2005
January 2006
February 2006
March 2006
April 2006
May 2006
June 2006
July 2006
August 2006
September 2006
October 2006
November 2006
December 2006
January 2007
February 2007
March 2007
April 2007
May 2007
June 2007
July 2007
August 2007
September 2007
October 2007
November 2007
December 2007
January 2008
February 2008
March 2008
April 2008
May 2008
June 2008
July 2008
August 2008
September 2008
October 2008
November 2008
December 2008
January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
April 2009
June 2009
July 2009

.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .


MORE FOCUSED BLATHERINGS


Travels:
London '01
Pamplona
Italy '03
U.K. '03
Sevilla
Casablanca
Stoke-on-Trent
Barcelona
Québec/Ottawa
Boston/Lisbon/Madrid
Italy '04
Montréal
La Sierra

Events:
Madrid -- arrival
9/11
Emergency Room I
Holidays 2001
Holidays 2002
Holidays 2003
Holidays 2004
Holidays 2005
A neighbor's passing
Madrid -- March 11 bombings
  and aftermath
Emergency Room II
Israeli friend/Madrid Marathon
Madrid -- Royal Wedding
The DELE exam

GONE, a novel:
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10

THE BASTARD CHILDREN OF
JOE ROCCO, a novella:
-- Part 1
-- Part 2
-- Part 3

BURBANK SHRUGGED,
a screenplay:
-- Part 1
-- Part 2
-- Part 3
-- Part 4

Short stories:
Murphy's Wife
Another Autumn
La Queja de Una
  Hermanastra Muy Conocida

Autobiography
-- Personal History
-- Hormones On Parade
-- Accidents, Random Mishaps,
    Personal Problems

.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .


OTHER SOURCES OF WHOLESOME ENTERTAINMENT

People/Weblogs:
dooce
foxvox
fudge it
fear not
rebekka
bookslut
802online
idle words
madhaiku
wockerjabby
grow-a-brain
rebel market
letting me be
out and about
kung fu grippe
fanatical apathy
baghdad burning
wfuv's music blog
kexp's music blog
mimi smartypants
between the miles
just a hippie gypsy
the impossible cool
tomato can brushes
vermont homestead
sugar mountain farm

Good Clean Fun:
gizmodo
futurismic
postsecret
dave barry
human clock
mcsweeney's
spaceweather
book-a-minute
internet archive
self-portrait day
my cat hates you
out of context quotes
surrealist compliment
  generator
strindberg and helium

Makin' Musical Whoopee:
last fm
stereo8
pandora
soma fm

.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .


ABOUT RWS/CONTACT





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