Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Strokes

I made a little discovery today.

(that seems to be happening alot lately. Maybe I am in an introspective place.)

But this one is embarrassing and not very enlightening.

Well. It was enlightening to me.

I was walking into the house from my car, after just finishing working out at the gym.

And, as usual, I was having a little conversation with myself. It went something like this:

Self- "I love rowing. It's so much fun! Plus, the rowing machine has the best view of CNN and I can just laugh and laugh and laugh at how racism has really turned the corner in America (ha.ha. Anyone know what I am talking about?)

Plus, I am low to the ground so that creepy old man who stands in the middle of the free weights checking out the women on the elliptical machine can't see me. I love rowing! You can really think while you are doing it and you don't have to concentrate on not...you know....falling on your face!

Hmmm, I wonder why they are always empty. Are they athletically insignificant? I always seem to go away sore and tired. I wonder if it is just an undiscovered exercise wonder.

Eh. Oh well. Different strokes for different folks."

***

And this is when it happened. You see. All my life I have assumed that this phrase was talking about painting. You know. Painting strokes. And I always thought that it just meant some people like to do long fluid painting strokes, others like short quick strokes like pointellism.

For serious.

*****

(back to talking to myself.)

Self: Hmmm. Different Strokes for Different Folks. OH.MY.GOSH! It isn't talking about painting! It's talking about swimming.

Different Strokes! AHHHH! Backstroke, Freestyle, Breastroke, Butterfly....not to mention Medley relays!!!

******

Did I mention that I was a competive swimmer for 7 years?
And that I then taught swimming instruction for a summer at a camp?
And that one of the standard greetings for when you are getting to know a new swimmer is asking them what their stroke is?

I felt really dumb.
And I still do while telling this story.

Am I right though? Is that phrase talking about swimming strokes? I could be SO wrong on this again!

4 comments:

katie said...

Oh my! I was a competitive swimmer for a long time too! And I don't know that I ever thought of this a swimming quote either... Crazy!

Anonymous said...

This made me laugh. a lot!

Kaylyn said...

If it makes you feel any better, I have never even heard this phrase!! :)

Kate said...

I had no idea what that phrase meant! Thanks for educating me!