Here's a Hint: Open Your Eyes When Wearing Goggles

Nobody Flashes: I was swimming in my local pool today when I ran into the future...I.E..a "college" student. And since I'm a strong believer in furthering my own knowledge, and since the subject usually discussed in the "adult swim," which consists of my 4 over-65 females friends whose favorite subject is their dental care and dishwasher units, I was more than ready for any change in conversation.

"So, do you go to school?"

"Yeah, I'm going to Columbia University."

"What are you studying?"

"Physics."

Needless to say, my only knowledge of physics and contemplation thereof, pretty much pertains to why my basement stairs are getting steeper--- but did that detain me from continuing? NO!

"So--- what do you think of global warming?" I asked while I pushed up my water goggles.

I will not repeat what he said, but he pretty much sounded like Al Gore. ..the ozone level is being destroyed due to greenhouse gases, and any argument against that is simply political and not based on science.

"Gee, I've heard other scientists say the opposite. You know, as a rule of thumb, it's always good to check out both sides of every opinion and then use your common sense."

"Well, he said, all the scientists say so, there are no scientists to refute it."

Wow...it's worse than I thought.

"Really?...Let me ask you this; If the earth wobbled, as it does every ten thousand years or so, don't you think that would affect the planet?"

"Actually, no...because of the relationship that the moon has to the earth affects it's wobble, so would be so very minor...in fact, this happens all the time..."

The boy thinks the earth is wobbling all the time? I should call up my car insurance agent.

By this time, you could tell the kid was getting mad. But did I stop? Oh NO! Not me.

"So, you're telling me..that if the earth did tilt on its axis, even by a small degree, that would not affect the weather at all?"

"That's not what I said." he replied, feeling a trap.

"Well gee...I don't know much about physics, but if I even take a broken glass, and try to start a fire, just a tilting of the glass and it's angle to the earth makes a lot of difference in the outcome, so logic says that if the earth titled, say...just a little, it would certainly affect the weather a little."

My new friend said...nothing, "I need to swim."

"Yeah, me too." I said.

Of course, I was obviously a frigging moron to this young guy, who , by the way was also bragging about his finesse in the water...showing off his "strength " and swimming skills. He felt strong and invincible...ahhhh to remember that feeling again. And he was almost cocky about how good he swam, but did I let him have that illusion?

Are you kidding? If you dropped me into the Dead Sea would I not float?

Knowing that he had been completely brainwashed by our US educational system , I told him that Navy Seals would be required to swim two full lengths underwater. After all, he bragged about how he could do a dolphin kick without coming up for breath, because he showed me.
So, I told him since he was such a strong swimmer, he should try it..swim underwater one lap.

"But, I will have to use my hands."" he said.

"Well....yeah." Good god, maybe this guy should enlist.

"Of course, you might not make it, because it takes more than swimming talent, you must have good lungs." Something his scientific mind did not yet compute. He made it down one length of the pool, then pooped out...because, he said...he was tired.

Poor kid. I had shattered his image of himself. I didn't mean to. I meant it as something for his to strive for...that there is always another latter to climb, that you never stop learning....but that's not how he took it.

So, reprimanding myself for torturing the poor kid, I told myself.."Joyanna, go back to swimming, quit bugging this poor kid, remember what happened to Socrates." and I was at the deep end of the pool...just lying on my back. floating...thinking about the clear blue sky...and how I had only one more day to enjoy the pool...and then BAM!!!

I felt a painful knock on my head, which put me underwater and gasping for air. The kid...who had his goggles on was swimming forward had somehow managed to bump full into my head, with great force, even though we were the only two people in the deep end.

Did he do it on purpose? I don't think so...he was just..not used to "thinking." that ---hey, maybe I'd better looked where I'm going.

And that's the point. if you can't see where you are going even with goggles on...you will be very surprised when you bump into a brick wall someday and all what you were taught in school, might not be the truth.

After all, that's what's goggles are for. If you're not going to use them, why put them on?

Somewhere there's a moral in this: but I'm not even attempting to find it. I am in my floating stage...and my goggles are HUGE.