To the surprise of many bartenders and my own mother, I will turn 29 years old in a week from Wednesday. This is the last birthday where I will actually acknowledge the age I am turning. After this year, I will officially turn “grumble.”
Since my birthday is so close to New Year’s, I tend not to make New Year’s resolutions, but goals tied to my birthday. I’ve settled on four goals for my 29th year, and since this year’s are actually interesting, and things I need my readers to assist with, I thought I might share them with you.
So here is the first of my 4 For 29.
The Seabreeze water slides. (Photo: Seabreeze)
1.) Learn How To Swim
When I was 10, my mother presented me with a choice to continue taking dance classes or take swimming lessons at the East High School pool. My parents couldn’t afford both, so I had to choose between the two.
I remember my mother sitting with me at our tiny kitchen table with the two typewritten registration forms in front of us. Our faux-maple round table was the place where all important family conversations took place, from “Why did the principal call me and say you refused to go to music class?” in first grade, to “Your mom and I can’t contribute any money to college,” twelve years later. Obviously, on the scale of conversations the table had seen, this was on the mild end.
“It’s important to learn how to swim,” explained my mother (who has made it a career to reason with elementary schoolers about their lunch choices, and for that, she’s deserves more shots than I could ever buy her.) “But you are a very good dancer, and I know you like that.” Continue reading