Escape

62 Replies
belton-lap-pool

PHOTO PROMPT © Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

Sitting in front of a lane, watching the water, made the memories flood back.

I was too short for basketball, didn’t have the hand-eye coordination for baseball and hated football.  That made me a zero in school.

But I found the swim team.

I discovered that I was a fish.  I won often, but the kids at school didn’t care.  There were no cheer rallies for the swim team.

It didn’t matter.  When I was in the water, I was free.

The aid lifted my war-wracked and broken body into the pool.

I once more was a fish and free.

***

Word count = 100

Friday Fictioneers is hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields.  This week’s prompt is here and uses a photo © Rochelle Wisoff-Fields.  Read more or join in by following the InLinkz “linky“.

62 thoughts on “Escape”

  2. patriciaruthsusan

    At the rural school, I attended back in the day there was no swim team. It’s great for those who aren’t in other sports. It’s wonderful exercise and your MC benefitted from the special program for war veterans. and other handicapped. A good and well-written story, Trent. —- Suzanne

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    1. trentpmcd Post author

      Thanks, Suzanne. My school didn’t have a swim team either, but several schools near where I live now do. It is a great sport and one town gets very enthusiastic over it. I’ve seen some specials on using swim therapy for wounded soldiers, and it can make a big difference.

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    1. trentpmcd Post author

      Thanks, Rochelle. I do know that you8 are a swimmer. There is something freeing about the water, doubly so for a person with limited mobility, like the MC here.

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    1. trentpmcd Post author

      It is liberating, and I’ve seen programs and have read that for a lot of people who have had traumatic injuries, swimming gives them a great sense of independence and freedom.

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    1. trentpmcd Post author

      Yes, that’s part of it. I’ve read that water and swimming can mean freedom of movement to those who have lost the use of their limbs. I implied that he had limited mobility by having him placed into the water by an aid.

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    1. trentpmcd Post author

      Thanks. I’ve read that swimming can be therapeutic to war veterans, but I think it would be doubly so for someone like the MC here. (I had to rescue your comment from spam. Not sure why it went there…)

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  14. Bear

    Water does indeed give that feeling of freedom. Love that in the pool, I can move virtually painless. Jump, hop, and swim. One of the best therapies ever!

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. trentpmcd Post author

      I have seen and read that it is great therapy – I’m glad you can get some freedom in the pool. Actually, water is great therapy for everyone – the stress just melts away when I am by, in or on the water…. (Not sure why, but a lot of comments for this post went to spam – I just “rescued” this one)

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      1. Bear

        Our complex has a pool, was scheduled to be opened today. Cover still on, packed with debri from fall & winter. Not holding out that it will open at all. Actually looking into seeing if I can afford the summer athe YMCA. Guaranteed better conditions all around.

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    1. trentpmcd Post author

      Actually, I don’t think my school had a swim team. I grew up in Ohio (by the shores of Lake Erie) and in that region you had football, then basketball and a little bit of baseball. Wrestling and track had some exposure. It was years later that I discovered there were other sports in the school, like gymnastics. Nobody talked about them. I love to swim, but have no good strokes – when I swim laps, the slow people pass me…

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    1. trentpmcd Post author

      Thanks, I thought of it as an encouraging story, not a sad story. Basketball, football or any of the others wouldn’t have been able to give him the same freedom when he really needed it….

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    1. trentpmcd Post author

      I have seen articles about the freedom some people feel in the water after they’ve lost limbs or had other traumatic injuries. Thinking along those lines… Thanks.

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