T H E   Y   G E N E R A T I O N

You know we see a lot of yucky stuff about the Y generation.  And I agree way too many of them are tied up in knots with gaming etc. 

But I want you to know that I have faith in the younger generation. 

My third cousin Corbin, was just presented with honors in Mining Engineering at honors day SIU.  I’m so proud of him.

This morning at the pool I met another special young man.  I watched as he came in.  Me,  doing my 30 leg lifts, knee bends, stretches and other routine boring stuff.  The pool is full of us old people sloshing around just trying to keep moving, so to speak.  Young guy, comes in, not so tall, kind of thin, well built, looks sturdy.  Picks a lap lane, sits on the side of the pool and slides in.  I kind of like that cause lots of younger people think it’s important to take a running  jump, land bottom side flat on the water  and splash like crazy.

He turns around and lays a watch down on the side.  I’m supposing it’s water resistant, but maybe not waterproof.  (There’s a difference I’ve learned lately, trying to find one for myself.)   So, he turns and does some nice backwards shoulder stretches holding onto the pool side.  He doesn’t seem particularly anxious to get started etc.  He checks the watch again, picks it up, puts it down.  Turns around and takes a big breath and dives forward.  Next thing I know, he is underwater.  And he stays underwater and I can’t see him.  I see a few swirls where I think he is.  Then further down a few more swirls.  While I’m contemplating those swirls, my normal nursing anxiety starts to set in.  Where is he?  Why doesn’t he come up?  Is he in trouble?  Half way down the pool, those last swirls haven’t even spread out and his head surfaces at the opposite end of the pool, the 9 foot end.  I’m breathless and mouth hanging open.  He leans on the far end of the pool, doesn’t even look winded.  OK!  So I’m fussing with left knee lifts and extensions and contemplating what just happened.  He swam from one end of the pool to the other, length wise, underwater, without breathing!

OK, he rests against the far end of the pool, occasionally turning and looking at the clock on the wall behind him.  Pretty soon, I’m into the right shoulder stuff, since it got replaced last September.  He dives under again.  I quickly glance at middle of the pool clock.  The second hand is just 2 marks past the 5.  I try hard to keep up with where he might be under the water.  Those swirls are very misleading.  I’m trying to peripherally visualize the other end of the pool and keep up with the second hand.  I somehow manage to do it, he surfaces and the second hand is on the 9.  I calculate 18 seconds.  Wow!!

He surfaces, turns and leans on the pool side.  I still can’t detect that he’s pulling for air.  I’m hooked.  I start towards him, my noodle in front.  He’s studying the watch.  I get close enough to the lane rope, he looks up.  “Hello,” I say. 

He says, “Hi.”    I offer to work the stop watch for him. 

He thanks me, but says, ‘No that he’s not really timing what he’s doing’. 

So I ask, “What is that?

 And he says, “I have to be able to swim all the way down and back, twice.” 

I go, “Wow, that’s remarkable.”  So he says, “Well, it’s a test, I’m trying out for.” 

So, now I’m totally hooked.   I ask, “What is the test about?” 

And he says, he’s trying out for the Para Rescue Unit in the Air Force. 

Of course, I give him my total encouragement, tell him I think that’s just excellent and wish him the best.  Very polite nice young man.  He’s going to do something big, I betcha!!

Got some younger generation folks around you? 

Let them know the future is theirs,

then show them you care

and role model some decent values

and

watch out ! ! ! !

Copyright - 2012 -  Doris Grant Frey