Silver Lining

Last night, which was a lovely early spring evening, the Family went for a walk.  All five of us.  Outside.  There was a slight chill in the air and a fairly stiff breeze.  It was, however, sunny and springy and pretty.  It was a simple thing, but at least we were able to get out.  About a quarter of the way through the walk, the Wife says to me, "I saw on the calendar today you were supposed to swim the 1000 today."  (For those of you uninitiated in the world of swimming that is 1000 yards, 40 lengths of a standard swimming pool.  Yes.  One.  Thousand.  Yards.)

Silver Lining.

 I did not swim the 1000 last night.  I don't like swimming the 1000 (sorry, Rich).  I don't know how to swim the 1000 (sorry, again, Rich.)  I either start to fast, then spend the majority of the race wishing I could quit and get out and thinking there is no way I can swim 22 more lengths of this God-forsaken pool.  Or I start too slowly, feel great and finish strong.  And then Katie yells at me for staring too slowly.  I don't like when Katie is mad at me.  The 1000 is really a no win situation.  Except yesterday, I didn't have to swim the 1000.  Win for me.

Times are tough right now.  We have to find the silver lining.  This weekend is a weekend I work for most of the year (except the past year, when I really only worked for it for half the year.)  (Sorry, yet again, Rich.)  This weekend is the Masters swimming Colonies Zone Championship.  The big meet for me, and several other people I know and love, and a lot of people I don't know, but still feel some love for.  Like just about everything else, this meet was cancelled.

I got my money back - Silver Lining.

Today was supposed to be my hard day - 200 back, 500 free, 50 back, and most likely the 800 free relay.  That would make 1950 yards of racing in less than 24 hours. Instead, two weeks ago I said an indefinite good-bye to the swimming pool.

Honestly, I have to admit that the new normal has become normal to such an extent that I forgot what I was missing this weekend.  Not swimming the 1000 is a small win.  Not swimming this meet is not.  But this is the new normal, and we have to find the little victories, or the silver linings, in this unfortunate situation.

So I did not swim the 1000 last night - win!

I am not swimming the 400 IM tomorrow - win!  (For those of you uninitiated in the world of swimming, the 400 IM is somehow worse than the 1000.  It is kind of like being tarred and feathered, then run over by a truck, then thrown into a swimming pool.  After tat, you usually have about 5 lengths of the pool to go.)

The family has been taking many evening walks - Win!  No one in the family has killed anyone else - double win!

Today, we did a Family Movie - win!  We watched Deadpool.  Normally, watching Deadpool with a 10 year old, a 13 year old and a 15 year old would be frowned upon by many people.  If you haven't seen it, the movie is a hard R rating.  Not really appropriate for a 10 year old, or maybe even a 13 year old.  But today, we watched it together, in our house, without going anywhere.  Socially responsible.  Silver Lining.  Win!

The basement is painted - Win!

I started a puzzle of The Little Mermaid today - double Win!

My family is having an online get together today - Win!  In all seriousness, we would never do this but for the current circumstances.  At best, I would see my parents some time in the next two months, one of my brothers sometime in the next 6 months and the other by or on Christmas Eve.  As for my niece and nephew and my sisters-in-law?  Really not sure.  So this is a good thing.

Eldest has a birthday coming up - Win!  He is turning 16, but can't get his driver's license - HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!  Win!  Win!  Win!  (We kid because we love.)

Middle bought Grand Theft Auto online for the PlayStation.  This is kind of like the Deadpool thing.  Not exactly appropriate.  But he did it from the house.  That is socially responsible.  So, Win!??

OK I'm reaching.

If I am honest, as I wrote about a week ago, this kind of sucks.  I am lucky.  I have a job (still).  The Wife has a job (still).  None of us are sick.  If we get sick, we have good health insurance.  I am confident my family will get through this.  I am hopeful everyone does, but I know that isn't the case.  I am looking for the positive, as is everyone else.  People are re-connecting with old friends.  There are some good things coming out of this.  But, it kind of sucks.  Everything has been cancelled.  We really fear for summer swimming (no word right now, but I am concerned.)  We don't know when this is going to end.  So we look for the Silver Lining.  The small Win!

Like I said, no 1000 last night.  No 400 IM tomorrow.