So Late - But Still In Time

It has been a very busy day for a Sunday.

Not only did I do a bit of the regular stuff (laundry), etc, but I went to the gym for a great workout and followed that with a swim in our pool which has been newly converted from chlorine to salt water - fabulous!

Though I’ve thought of going to the pool before this, in the 4 years since we’ve lived here, I’ve never been - till now. 

And the only reason I went today is because I have a friend in the building (with whom I workout, make treks to Canadian Tire, go to Staples, basically run errands, etc.) who has been talking about how nice the pool is since they switched it over. 

Well, today I finally agreed to go - after our trip to the gym and - I could have kicked myself for not taking advantage of the pool before this. 

It’s such a beautiful facility that it’s hard for me to imagine it sitting there for the past 4 years without a single visit from me.

When I first moved to Toronto, it was as a result of the need to fulfil the requirements of my landed immigrant status; my partner, who by birth is Canadian, remained in the United States. 

Though we’d planned on coming to Canada together, circumstances prevented this and I ended up moving here by myself -a very strange situation - considering, I was an American having to live in Canada and my partner was a Canadian having to live in the US, by dint of his job - isn’t that strange?

Many years before, my partner had lived in an apartment building at Bay and Charles and we found a small studio that was perfect for me in order to maintain my landed immigrant status.

But it was lonely.

I knew no one in Canada.

But worse, I know no one in Toronto.

This meant there were endless days, nights, weeks, months - spent on my own, trying to fill my days with ‘life’.

Because of the strange nature of our situation, I could not work and found myself travelling back and forth to Washington DC, every few months for extended periods of time - always mindful of the necessity to spent approximately 180 days of each year in Canada.

There were times when things seemed quite miserable - and other times of great joy - like I said - that’s life.

But there was a pool in our building and though I knew of its existence, I had never actually been. Until one very, dark, Winter day, when I thought, I couldn't continue on this way much longer.

I thought, ‘I need a break’ and pulled out a bathing suit and went to the pool.

Well, who knew!?

It was a revelation - though it shouldn’t have been - I’m a Cancer - a ‘Water Sign’ - and though I may not subscribe to ‘all that’, I definitely have an affinity for the water and why I wouldn’t have been taking advantage of it before that time, I don’t know.

Perhaps it’s one of those things where, the simplest solution lies directly in front of us but we are too preoccupied with trying to find it to be able to see what’s directly in front of us. That pool was exactly like that.

I cannot explain it any better than to say immersing myself in the water was completely restorative and once I’d re-babtised myself in its healing powers, I was restored, rejuvenated and wholly reinvigorated. I thought to myself, ‘how could I not always be aware of the restorative power of the water on me?’ - but I don’t remember - obviously.

Otherwise, I would not have had to relearn the exact same experience once again, today. For, immersing myself in the water was truly restorative - and as I said before - ‘how could I have not known or forgotten something that is so clearly good for me!?

Well - is all I can say is - I’ll try not to do it again.

I’m planning another trip to the gym tomorrow as well as a dip - and the same thing for the rest of the week.

Let’s hope I continue to remember how good it is for me…