August 1, 2012: Post 568 (2012 Day 214) - Fast Day
August 1, 2012
Daily Comment
Treading water.
My parents taught me to swim when I was very young (3 years old? Maybe earlier, I don't know). They taught me at a pool in Brighton Beach, and they taught me in one afternoon. If memory serves (which is a topic for another commentary).
I could swim before I could tread water. That's mainly because swimming was fun, and that gave it purpose and meaning. It came to have a host of positive associations.
Treading water was easy, and I did it the first time I ever tried it. That first time was during a test, to see if I could go in the deep end of the public pool my day camp had taken me to. If I remember correctly, four of us happy campers had to tread water for two minutes to qualify.
So, treading water was, at that point, simply a gateway to more fun, and a little status. To me, at the time, it was useless. It certainly wasn't fun.
In that instance, it seemed to be the opposite of fun, a barrier to fun.
Of course, now it has another meaning, a metaphorical, applies-to-adults meaning: Surviving by virtue of effort, but without forward or backward movement (e.g., no progress, no loss).
I think it is meant to convey a sense of neutrality, but there is a subtext that is not neutral: It is the final step before "drowning." Which comes from the idea that we have to stay in motion to survive (like a shark, except it is a myth that sharks die if they stop moving through the water. Thanks, Woody.).
Basically, it stems from the idea that if you aren't growing, you are dying, which comes from a definition of growing that isn't really connected with progress, or with any biological truth - physiologically, most new cellular growth replaces what has been lost through the death of cells. Loss (lack of growth) comes when dead cells aren't replaced, which is a failure to maintain homeostasis. But I digress.
Nobody regrets expending a little energy to stay alive. But no matter how much energy we expend, we all die sooner or later. The idea that treading water (being still or motionless) is the last step before death seems destructive to me, the opposite: We should seek out some stillness, some times where we are still, because those are healing times, positive times, and times where progress is separated from motion, without loss or the threat of/fear of loss.
That's what I glean from meditating. And one way I differentiate meditation from treading water.
My parents taught me to swim when I was very young (3 years old? Maybe earlier, I don't know). They taught me at a pool in Brighton Beach, and they taught me in one afternoon. If memory serves (which is a topic for another commentary).
I could swim before I could tread water. That's mainly because swimming was fun, and that gave it purpose and meaning. It came to have a host of positive associations.
Treading water was easy, and I did it the first time I ever tried it. That first time was during a test, to see if I could go in the deep end of the public pool my day camp had taken me to. If I remember correctly, four of us happy campers had to tread water for two minutes to qualify.
So, treading water was, at that point, simply a gateway to more fun, and a little status. To me, at the time, it was useless. It certainly wasn't fun.
In that instance, it seemed to be the opposite of fun, a barrier to fun.
Of course, now it has another meaning, a metaphorical, applies-to-adults meaning: Surviving by virtue of effort, but without forward or backward movement (e.g., no progress, no loss).
I think it is meant to convey a sense of neutrality, but there is a subtext that is not neutral: It is the final step before "drowning." Which comes from the idea that we have to stay in motion to survive (like a shark, except it is a myth that sharks die if they stop moving through the water. Thanks, Woody.).
Basically, it stems from the idea that if you aren't growing, you are dying, which comes from a definition of growing that isn't really connected with progress, or with any biological truth - physiologically, most new cellular growth replaces what has been lost through the death of cells. Loss (lack of growth) comes when dead cells aren't replaced, which is a failure to maintain homeostasis. But I digress.
Nobody regrets expending a little energy to stay alive. But no matter how much energy we expend, we all die sooner or later. The idea that treading water (being still or motionless) is the last step before death seems destructive to me, the opposite: We should seek out some stillness, some times where we are still, because those are healing times, positive times, and times where progress is separated from motion, without loss or the threat of/fear of loss.
That's what I glean from meditating. And one way I differentiate meditation from treading water.
Please leave a comment if you visit my blog. Thank you!
Food and Diet Section
Today's Weight: 204.6 lbs
Yesterday's Weight: 203.4 lbs
Day Net Loss/Gain: + 1.2 lbs
 |
| Year 2012 daily weight from December 31, 2011. |
Maybe today's 20-hour fast would have improved my weight but for the alf-pound of (off-plan) cheese I broke the fast with. Sigh. I do so love cheese. And it was so good.
Food Log
Breakfast
Skipped.
Lunch
Skipped. Skipped.
Lunch
Snack
Peccorino romano cheese, mustard, cole slaw.
Dinner
 |
| Chili (beef, black beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, spices) with peas. |
Snack
Chili.
Liquid Intake
Coffee: 42 oz, Water: 160+ oz
Please leave a comment if you visit my blog. Thank you!
posted by Reverend Ken at
7:58 AM
6 Comments:
I have to say that I see treading water as very active. It is funny because Danny said to me yesterday that waterpolo was the hardest sport of all because you had to tread water and do all the rest that is required of the sport. I also don't think I always see it as saving oneself from drowning. I think there are times when one needs to stay in place but in an active way to move forward later.
Love you
if I found myself in this situation 9drowning) my instinctive response,fueled by my emotional response, would be to tread in order to keep my head above water to breathe..my intellect would realize that I can't tread forever and i would form astrategy to prolong my capability to breathe. I would float on my back..Floating = Meditation.
Breathe ,my pasty freind.
p.s. Conservation of energy is not just agood idea.It is the law.
Oh, what a smart response.
Wonderful discussion!
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