Life, who?

Something we all know is that life is hard to define. To me, metaphors are the only viable form of grasping the true definition of the word due to its unfathomable meaning. I like to think about it in this way: my swimming career has taught me something deeper…something richer in meaning than simply swimming.

Standing at the blocks, ready to begin my race, is the beginning of a new opportunity, a new day in life. I get up on the block ready to dive in - head first. When I dive, momentum pulls me straight down to the bottom of the pool. But I realize I have to keep going and push myself just like one has to push through the painful aspects of life, through the obstacles, and through the hardships. Each lane is the path one takes to reach the final destination. Each stroke is each step one takes to hit the final target. Each flip turn is the change in direction, a change in your lifestyle, for the better or for the worse. Each breath is the energy radiated by the positivity and love of family and friends. The individual who swims this race is you. Everyone has their own path: swimming in a straight line versus a jagged line, multiple lengths as opposed to one, slow or fast. In the end, each and every person ends up where he or she began: at the starting wall. Through the ups and downs of life, “don’t forget who you are or where you come from” (Fitzgerald 76) because you will always find yourself back to who you truly are.