People have tried to make it clear to you, Ion, that you will not be recognized by USMS or SWIM magazine unless you swim a lot faster. They have also tried to point out, in a nutshell, that your attitude comes across as sour grapes.
I am going to postulate that you would like to be recognized for overcoming whatever it is you have overcome. SWIM magazine doesn't have the space to do it. And they certainly don't have the manpower (interviewers and photographers) to cover every story there is to tell, especially in regard to overcoming adversity.
So, here it is. I wish everyone would take the chance to tell their stories. Think of it as a SWIM web page for sharing of personal histories.
I know Tom Ellison has an amazing story that I wish he would put here. I know of many other swimmers who have overcome tremendous adversity. I hope this thread will become an inspiration to us all, and that we will all realize, as I have lately, that: looking at the past can be painful, so don't (as long as you don't repeat it!), who knows what the future holds, so quit worrying about it, and be happy in the present because it's the only thing you really have control over.
I'm not a big fan of the arguing on these threads. There are posts from Ion and others that I agree with; there are posts that I don't agree with. Clearly, however, the point of this thread was to inflame Ion. When you egg him on and he responds, you pounce. Actually, his last response was very thoughtful - he stated his philosophy. He didn't insist that you agree with him - it was his opinion. He never said that you weren't content, but twice he has been told to "shut up". Real nice.
Originally posted by dorothyrd
By starting later you DO never know what might have been. Maybe nothing spectacular, maybe something great(in my case probably the first :) ).
So, why dwell on it?
I just walked in the door from the Colonies Zone Meet. When I read Tom's post that mentions me, I darned near fell off the chair here at my desk when I saw it! :o I am extremely humbled to know that Tom would share his thoughts concerning my love of my new found sport.
For the record, Tom's comments were not solicited by yours truly, hence my total surprise. My participation in USMS is that I am doing it for what Tom said: ... to remain fit, good health, camaraderie with his fellow swimmers and for the love of the sport. I never thought of it any differently. Speaking of remaining fit, I've keep off the 60 pounds I lost almost 2 years ago. (By the way Dorothy, I've added weight training to the fitness regimen.)
Also for the record, and Tom knows this as well, I do regret not having swam in age group swimming, high school and/or college. My parents didn't support me in any kind of sport as a kid. This saddens me, but I don't internalize over it. Why? Simply because life too darned short to worry about the past. You cannot fix the past, but one can direct one's future to a certain extent. USMS has given me the chance to do stuff I couldn't do at, say, 12. And it's been the greatest challenge in life, well except for my senior recital in college. (See next paragraph.)
When I go to a meet, my expectation is to do better than I did at the last meet. PERIOD. If I don't so be it. There's the next time and the next and the next. I know full well that, to me, learning to swim well is like learning amusical instrument, no, studying a musical instrument. It takes practice. This is not an overnight journey.
I am totally amazed at the guys and gals who are indeed awesome in the water ... but I also realize that each person has a special gift from God. Be it long distance for Tom, or Dorothy who juggles her swimming schedule with her kid's schedule, the many yards Ion puts in a week and for many, many more folks I have met on this Forum and in person. Therefore, I realize that I am blessed with a musical ability that people remind me about and am not shamed to share it with others, hence the picture of me in my avatar. I share it at my Church. BTW, playing my chosen instrument, viz, the organ is not a piece of cake. It requires reading the music while operating the instrument's controls, the keyboards being played by the two hands and the pedal keyboard played with two feet. (Note picture for clarification. Get the idea?) ALL SIMULTANEOUSLY. (Now when I get my breaststroke and butterfly as coordinated as this, I will have it made!) Sorry for the digression here. :(
Anyway, I still feel strongly that everyone's into USMS for one reason or another, has "their own story" and has various levels of ability. I consider all the members of USMS as part of my extended family now. It is my sincere wish that we respect each other's level of ability and refrain in the future from this endless "I am better than you" stuff.
By the way, and this is not a mutual adoration society here, Tom Ellison remains foremost in my mind as a prime example who overcame more stuff than most other folks could ever possibly endure to prove that one can move past adversity. That's "All Right Stuff" to me.
Thank you for your time. Kindest regards.
Mark
Nice post Mark. My Dad and sis played one of those, I never learned. My music is in my voice. A little easier to play!
Weight training does great things for you, keep it up!
Just curious, not making fun at all because I know adults who have aquired asthma, but did you ever have signs of asthma as a child in athletics, or did it come on after your swimming started.
Geek, I have been told the same thing, too bad I did not start sooner, but I didn't, that cannot change. It is something I do quietly regret, and obviously Ion does too. By starting later you DO never know what might have been. Maybe nothing spectacular, maybe something great(in my case probably the first :) ).
