I have never had the opportunity to swim because I had never had to. It was never a part of my life, I have never lived by the coast. Nor had I had the opportunity to. Everyone around me enjoys gliding through the water. They understand the language of the body and how to maneuver their way in water to stay afloat and move with the grace of a whale.
As important as picking up a language is there are other aspects of culture that must be learned in the same manner or rather in a similar way. These customs are necessary to function normally in society and they will have to come about them.
Swimming was a language of interest to me, I have always envied those Olympic swimmers for their graceful races in water. I had to have this skill, it interested me so and there is always a chance to use it whenever around water. Also another thought that drove me to learn the language was someone told me about its impact. The knowledge was worthwhile as it could potentially be life saving. If it came to one day I walk by and there is an accident I don’t want to be a part of the bystanders who are on their phones recording the event rather than helping.
Swimming is the language of your body and helping you orient yourself in water space. For this you must understand how your body works and how to use it to help you remain in the water without falling to an oxygen lacking grave or someone else’s. This is the importance of the skill.
What life changing skill can you pick up?
I like your interpretation of swimming being a form of literacy. Dance and gesture are often interpreted as forms of "language" as well.
ReplyDeleteI learned to swim at a very early age and since then I have always been around the water. I took swimming lessons all throughout my childhood and I was even recruited by my high school swimming coach when I entered my freshman year (to which I did not follow through with, long story). The comparison between literacy and swimming is quite a strong one, as both of them exhibit the "if you don't use it you'll lose it" principle. Also, I love the grace of a whale comparison.
ReplyDeleteI find it fun that you relate grace to whale... we don't ususally think of them as graceful, but when you watch them in the water, they are so elegent. I also like your interpretation of literacy as a basis of physical action, not verbal.
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