THE LAST WORD | FROM PAGE 13
process, swimming on a team can also create a real sense of camaraderie. Tsui is fascinated by the story of an Icelander whose boat tipped over off the shore of Iceland in 1984. None of his fellow fishermen survived. Swimming in public pools and hot springs is popular in Iceland, so his fellow citizens still celebrate his ability to combat not only the elements by commemorating his swim with their own. He is the hero of a national pastime, a triumph to set against setbacks not only in swimming but in life. Long-distance swimming is its own challenge and reward. It can create a state of meditation that opens up creativity. People who swim conquer the English Channel, or the distance between Cuba and Florida. The poet Lord Byron found that it fostered his creativity, with regular swims across the Dardanelles between Turkey and Greece. Possessing a club foot, the water helped him move without constraint for once,
freeing his mind along with his body. In Japan, Tsui learns the fascinating art of samurai swimming, in which different groups of samurai warriors who swam and fought in armor, creating their own school styles. Nihon eiho is a Japanese swimming martial art, requiring a different way to move in the water. It is often vertical and meant to keep you still enough to be able to shoot an arrow and hit a target. This kind of swimming maintains a strong sense of serenity, along with confidence in maintaining oneself as part of a whole within the strictures of a group. Like Tsui, I swam as soon as I was able. Growing up in Africa, I learned to swim every day after school at a heavily chlorinated pool owned by the American Embassy. I swam in the chilly waters off a rocky beach in Marblehead, Massachusetts when visiting my grandparents every summer. I swam in a Maine lake at my uncle’s summer cottage. Now I swim from the lovely beaches of Sarasota, Florida. I swim in my own small pool.
I also swim in the Warm Mineral Springs, a watering hole here in Florida where Europeans come to “take the baths” for their health. Bonnie Tsui has written a lyrical book about a lyrical sport and pastime. She leads me to the fundamental question: Why do I swim? If I had to boil it down to one concept, it would be freedom. The water makes me exercise hard and remain fit without sweating or having aches and pains. No physical limitations, other than the length to which I can hold my breath, apply. It frees me from stress and keeps me in present. At the watering hole I frequent, I can meet people and chat while hanging in the silky mineral water or swimming around the perimeter. Swimming also connects me to my past, to a childhood in which moving through water became second nature and a cocoon from the world. It still opens up my creativity and helps me gain perspective on other aspects of my life. Swimming allows for both personal connections and solitary dreams, and life is nothing without them.
Become a Published Author with Dorrance. We want to read your book! Trusted by authors for nearly 100 years, Dorrance has made countless authors’ dreams come true.
Our staff is made up of writers, just like you. We are dedicated to making publishing dreams come true.
Complete Book Publishing Services FIVE EASY STEPS TO PUBLICATION: 1. Consultation
4. Distribution
2. Book Production 5. Merchandising and Fulfillment 3. Promotion
Call now to receive your FREE Author’s Guide
877-974-8307
www.dorranceinfo.com/otc
AN ORGANIZED HOME IS A HAPPY HOME Add space to your kitchen and time to your busy schedule with ShelfGenie’s custom pull-out shelves installed in your existing cabinets
50% OFF INSTALLATION*
*Limit one offer per household. Must purchase 5+ Classic/Designer Shelves. EXP 6/30/21
®
Schedule Your FREE Design Consultation:
(866) 415-0649 Hours: Mon - Fri 9am-9pm, Sat 10am - 4pm EST
Old Town Crier
AFTER HOURS Birchmere 703.549.7500 3701 Mt. Vernon Ave. birchmere.com The Blackwall Hitch 571-982-3577 5 Cameron St. theblackwallhitch.com Carlyle Club 411 John Carlyle Dr. 703-549-8957 thecarlyleclub.com Chadwicks 203 S. Strand St. 703.836.4442 Evening Star Cafe 703.549.5051 2000 Mt. Vernon Ave.
The Fish Market 703.836.5676 105 King St. fishmarketoldtown.com La Portas 703.683.6313 1600 Duke St. The Light Horse 703.549.0533 715 King St. lighthorserestaurant.com Murphys Irish Pub 703.548.1717 713 King St. murphyspub.com O’Connell’s 703.739.1124 112 King St.
Rock It Grill 703.739.2274 1319 King St. Shooter McGees 703.751.9266 5239 Duke St. shootermcgees.com Southside 815 703.836.6222 815 S. Washington St. St. Elmos 703.739.9268 2300 Mt. Vernon Ave. Taverna Cretekou 703.548.8688 818 King St.
TJ Stones 703.548.1004 608 Montgomery St. tjstones.com LaTrattoria 703-548-9338 305 S. Washington St. Two Nineteen 703.549.1141 219 King St. Village Brauhaus 710 King St. 703-888-1951 These establishments offer live entertainment. Call to confirm show times, dates and cover charges. Check our advertisers’ websites.
August 2021 | 15
