EXPERIENCE
each other facing their fears together. As a moody,
arthritic person obsessed with his weight and scared
of doing new or uncomfortable things, this plunge
seemed to be just what I needed.
Armed with all of the knowledge I could want,
I enjoyed the camaraderie and tea, which felt like
a pre-game has helped allay some of my fears as
we headed lakeward. I knew what to expect in my
body, and my mind was set on doing this thing,
facing this fear. In reality, nothing can really prepare
you for the first time getting in water that cold.
The temperature of the water that day was 53
degrees, which doesn’t sound that bad. A 53-degree
day is actually pretty nice, sunny and mild. The
same temperature in water is not so nice.
The last person to wade out to the group, I
ditched the robe and thought to myself, Just go
out quick, get covered fast, yank the Band-Aid off,
so to speak. I was not expecting how my breath
would be taken away. I had a hard time forming
full sentences (though curse words came easy),
and I can only imagine the look I had on my face.
DEAM LAKE
At the time, I would have told you I was out
there up to my chest for at least 10 minutes. In
reality, I lasted 90 seconds, but I am proud of that
minute and a half. In 90 seconds, I felt the sting
of blood rushing out of my extremities to keep
my core warm and my skin numb. I held on as
long as I could before heading back to shore. The
more seasoned group stayed in the water up to
15 minutes, laughing and talking before casually
making their way back.
To say I enjoyed the experience would be a bit
of a lie. I did enjoy the company, the camaraderie,
the snacks and the tea. I do feel like I faced and
conquered a huge fear, and feel like I do not have
to be so “I will never do that” all the time. Maybe it
was psychosomatic, but my shoulder didn’t ache
in its usual, arthritic way, (although maybe I was
just numb.) Also, if the weight loss aspect turns
out to be true, I could be persuaded to make it a
regular thing. Summer is coming and my swimsuit
was a bit snug.
HUBER WINERY
STARLIGHT DISTILLERY