I Blame Swimming Pools

Before swimming pools, we used to swim in the wild in rivers, lakes and the sea. We’d share the body of water with fish and other creatures, step in seaweed or sand, and feel the movement of waves crashing against us. There would be rocks features, plants, in some parts of the world there’d be waterfalls, lagoons, rapids. And it was free for anyone to go to, and would naturally clean itself.

However, we invented swimming pools. We dug rectangular holes and covered them with grey cement, and filled them water and chlorine to keep them clean. We put up rules such as no diving, no splashing, no petting (teehee)… no stepping / swimming out of line! Don’t do this, don’t do that. No, no, no. Behave!

And we started charging people to enter them. Yes, we have to PAY to enter this man made enterprise, and we are only allowed to swim up and down in uniform lines. Up and down and up and down. Leave those nature spots and spend your money here.

We then focus on how many lengths we have done. Quantifying the outcome of our water experience, the target being the amount of calories burnt, the distance covered, our increasing speed. What about enjoyment? What about the sensual experience of our whole body being submerged in water, held by the glorious ocean, feeling at one with the world?

“I am a human being not a human doing”

Why do we support the swimming pool powers that be, when there is access to free wild water spots where you don’t need to be told what to do, you use your own initiative about your behaviour? There are implicit rules – leave the place better than you found it, treat each another nicely, remember you are nature and enjoy your experience. But oh no, let’s not immerse ourselves in nature where we might have a fish nibble our toes, let’s pay into the system, go to the the boring artificial swimming pool with no chance of wildlife harassing us. I suppose lots of water bodies are polluted now so we can’t swim in there, well… all the more reason to reverse the pollution problems we face so we can all go back to being the wild creatures that we truly are!

Writing this in Cancun where lots of people are sitting round man-made soulless swimming pools whilst there is the Caribbean Sea right next to them, WTF. What is wrong with us humans??? We’ve totally disconnected to nature and the inventor of the swimming pool has a lot to answer for.

HMPH!!