Paradise Lost at the Saanich Rec Center

Douglas really wanted to go swimming tonight. We went to rec center at Saanich. Gave them tetla brochure asked them to give to manager for decision. Got a business card for LORI the decider. Douglas and I practiced Shwaquaum - and then he stuck around in the big water with a inflatable ring.. spinning. I went to the Hottub - to do my HOT COLD routine.. deal with pain. Cold water first, Hot water second. Sitting there. Aisan man with silver cross on a silver chain sits down. ANother man and his daughter start to enter hot tub. he has blue tattoos that I can't make out all over his chest. looks either celtic or first nations. His daughter is EDEN (i find out later) and she is having a hard time getting into the hot water. I tell her "treat like it's very very cold water instead" - but then her dad said "Sit on your butt and ease in" - And she tried to sit down, but fell backwards and almost knocked back of her head against the steps to the hottub. Dad jumps up immediatey and cradles her. I carry on with my routine. Hot to medium to Hot steam to Shower to Dry Heat back to COLD water... back to hot tub.. Eden is now there with a friend. Freiend reminds me of myself. She's a tough little noogie. Eden introduces herself and we talk about hot and cold for a bit. I ask if they are sisters. They both laugh. Friends? YES. I ask if they have a name for themselves. NOPE. LATER I head back to big water with Douglas. The girls follow me. I am consciously loping like an athelete again.. pain goes and Im back to my long distance self... I am showing Douglas how to dive. Giving him pointers. The girls come over and ask me to help teach THEM how to dive. So I ask what do you want to learn distance or depth? They both say DEEP (dolphins) The girl w/no name goes first. She goes deep and comes up. I say "Coast Salish Judge gives you 10 out of 10" - She smiles I give her thumbs up. Eden Goes and does a cannon ball.... I clap and cheer and give her two thumbs up and flash her 10 out of 10 fingers for her cannonball. She is delighted. Her friend (with no name) keeps practicing. I talk to her about surface area to volume ratio - and trying to enter the water with the least friction possible. After 4 dives, she is slipping soundlessly and splashsly into the water. I am shocked. She says "WHAT!" and I say 'YOU ARE A NATURAL" -- and she says I AM??? and I say yes. I have never seen somebody take to diving like that. And then Eden chimes in with.. HEY did you Know we won GOLD today? I said what? At the olympics. Soccer. My favourite is number 12 .. dont remember her name. But shes my favoruite... I did a whole report in school on her. SO I ask - this was Woman's Soccer! YES.. THUMBS UP WITH BIG SMILE.. I said I was too busy practicing my own sports to today to watch. Big discussion about time I saw a killerwhale breach and re-runs... The girl who dives so effortlessly comes over and she says.. I ride BMX and that's what the boys call me. SO I laugh like a demented clapping seal.. SO I DO KNOW YOUR NAME! HAHAHAHA she laughed. I told them -- ok chicks.. come here. I want to tell you a secret about football, many sports and life... SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO GO DEEP TO GO LONG. but don't share that secret with the boys until you are a grown up. If they find out... well... You know how the BOYS can be. I thanked them so much for spending their time with me. And said good bye. Finished up.. thinking aboud Johnny C - Wonder if he sweats.. lodge. Thinking about medicine. Thinking about being gentle. I think Douglas and I need to go to the pool more. Practice my flutterby kick.. dolphins... Douglas wants to get better at diving. Didnt make it off the diving board, but I refused to let him feel shitty about it. Told him, there is absolutely NO shame in saying "Hey.. I'm just not ready for this yet" -(dont forget part about Kevin Lavoy with the Red hat - and redcross pin ... who says I scared him INTO getting the hiccups. After we talked abit - and introduced ourselves.. his hiccups went away. I had been suggesting he take little sips of water. (draft 1) 10:04 PM August 12th 2016 AD