Life's A Beach And Then You Dive

Yesterday Surfer Boy and I went for our first session of pool therapy.  Luckily, I'm married to an avid surfer who also used to be a lifeguard!


We found this lovely facility, close to our home which features a heated to 80 degree, salt water pool.


I downloaded the required release forms, filled them out and off we went.  We were greeted by the owner of this quaint establishment, a buoyant woman with closely cropped graying hair, a huge smile and two slobbering black labs at her heels.  It seems that we caught her in the middle of lunch.  She grabbed my release forms and said "Just leave the 5 bucks in the box on the picnic table and have a good time"!


I've been a surfer for several years and grew up in pools and the Atlantic ocean in Miami, so I thought this would be a piece of cake.  Just get in and frolic around the pool.  Fun!  Well guys, it was a lot tougher than I expected.  Water acts as a resistance against your body.  Next time you get into a pool, concentrate (like I never did) on how much easier it is to walk on flat ground than it is in water.  Kerry grabbed a couple of water noodles, wrapped them around his body and proclaimed that he was going to order a Pina Colada.  I was left to do all my resistance training.  Where was my Marco Polo game?  Where was my Cabana Boy?  Where was my Pina Colada?  Waa-friggin-waa!


When we were done, we headed over to visit our dear friend, Kevin.  Kevin used to be my next door neighbor.  He's in his forties and has been a surfer all his life.  Six years ago, he dove head first into the ocean, hit the sandbar and instantly became a quadriplegic.  Kevin is one of the most inspiring people I know.  The doctors told him he'd never walk again.  Through hard work, great attitude and determination, Kevin can stand for almost a minute, he can walk with a walker and is determined to walk again.


I walked into his living room, where he sat in his wheelchair, arms working his "arm bicycle" and told him that pool workout was not as easy as I thought it would be.  His comment: "You're not gettin' any sympathy here"!  (Kevin also has a New York"tell it like it is") personality.  We went on, as we always do, to have a great visit with lots of stories and good laughs.


Next time you feel like things are getting a bit tough, remember: Life really is a Beach.  Now where's that Pina Colada?