tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post7170060269221997059..comments2023-10-21T11:44:45.588+01:00Comments on ResidentAlien: RiskMary Witzlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06458299046574564155noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-35420505007577321522008-05-03T19:49:00.000+01:002008-05-03T19:49:00.000+01:00A good read. Taking risks is all about living. Kim...A good read. Taking risks is all about living. Kim's right:when you no longer take risks, you're just waiting to die.<BR/><BR/>PhilPhilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14545929481216461218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-15409045552192476512008-05-02T06:19:00.000+01:002008-05-02T06:19:00.000+01:00Wow. Another good story.... You must be so fit...!...Wow. Another good story.... You must be so fit...! Both of you had so much perseverance, to have to keep on swimming on .... I'd have been wondering if it were further to go on, or go back ;-)-eve-https://www.blogger.com/profile/01051512896652327719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-86654637155540796772008-05-01T19:43:00.000+01:002008-05-01T19:43:00.000+01:00Donna -- Thank you! Actually, once we had gotten a...Donna -- Thank you! Actually, once we had gotten across, we were okay, and we enjoyed telling this story and impressing everyone with our idiocy.<BR/><BR/>I still can't get over the fact that Willy Nelson is 75. It just doesn't seem right...<BR/><BR/>Marshymallow -- You're right: driving and show-jumping are plenty scary. I only just learned to drive after a lifetime of cycling, walking and public transport. I still resent having to use the car, but I was pretty proud to pass my road test. Horses, however, are just for looking at as far as I'm concerned. I'm impressed that you can show jump!<BR/><BR/>Carolie -- The only sport I can engage in with any sort of aptitude is swimming, and the truth is that I'm not all that great. As a junior Olympic swimmer, I'm betting you swam FAST and WELL. I do okay, but I am not a slick swimmer; I see myself as the tortoise rather than a hare. I pace myself and thus can keep on for a good distance. <BR/><BR/>As for dark water, it scares the heck out of me. I did my best not to think about it in Devil's Lake and I told myself that there were no sharks there. The man who gave us the ride back did tell us that there were biting fish, but I want to think he was just teasing us. Maybe Susie can find out for me this summer! My husband found that the most terrifying -- the thought of fish coming and snacking on us as we swam. <BR/><BR/>And yes, raising teenagers is a lot like swimming that lake was. Tough going, hard to see what progress we were making, and a lot easier to do with two people...<BR/><BR/>Katie -- But we got to the other side! It wasn't that bad, really. Are you afraid of dark water too?Mary Witzlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06458299046574564155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-54764132563367719152008-05-01T15:53:00.000+01:002008-05-01T15:53:00.000+01:00I'll file this away and use it for a future incide...I'll file this away and use it for a future incident of paranoia!Katie Alenderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17210222751354931694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-4361223248376537962008-05-01T10:38:00.000+01:002008-05-01T10:38:00.000+01:00What a great story, Mary! And wow...swimming mile...What a great story, Mary! And wow...swimming miles, plural. I'm so impressed! I was a Junior Olympic swimmer as a kid, and swimming a mile was a long undertaking. Swimming more than one mile, in dark, cold water...well, I'm in awe. (Not as much at the cold as at the distance, and at the scariness of dark water. Can you tell I have a phobia?)<BR/><BR/>I really love where you went with the story. It wasn't just the narrative of your adventure that got to me as it was the conclusions you drew from the experience. Hee hee...I bet the lesson is especially meaningful now, while dealing with a headstrong teenager and thinking back to the leap of faith and risk choices parents take when they decide to be parents. I have faith that you and she will make it to the other side. Just keep swimming!<BR/><BR/>p.s. -- Hi to Susie, my cousin in Madison, who commented above!Caroliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-31547215154769764572008-05-01T04:46:00.000+01:002008-05-01T04:46:00.000+01:00Wow. Being responsible for a two-ton killing mach...Wow. Being responsible for a two-ton killing machine (a.k.a. and automobile) is enough for me. Although i've done some rather...ummm... is "unpremeditated" a word? i like it better than "thoughtless." Anyway, some things involving horses and fences, so i expect i'm not one to talk. It's just the risks you're most comfortable with, i guess. <BR/><BR/>That doesn't make any sense, does it?marshymallowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06640254083946558428noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-30342601481963126592008-05-01T00:32:00.000+01:002008-05-01T00:32:00.000+01:00The story was absolutely wonderful!! Perhaps Not ...The story was absolutely wonderful!! Perhaps Not to you two poor swimmers!!! Thanks for visiting my blog! I'll be back for more!lol...night!!hugsDonnahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00181520825012037531noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-88483415940494838592008-04-30T23:13:00.000+01:002008-04-30T23:13:00.000+01:00Robert -- Wow, sky-diving! My sister, being terri...Robert -- Wow, sky-diving! <BR/><BR/>My sister, being terrified of heights, decided that she would try sky-diving. She jumped several times, finally quitting when she hit the ground too hard and broke her ankle. By that time she felt that she had conquered her fear.<BR/><BR/>Oddly, I am not afraid of heights and am fine with flying, but I do not want to jump from a plane. I am a weenie about my ankles! But I too love hearing others' stories of derring-do. <BR/><BR/>Ello -- I hate being cold too -- I really do! My husband went hiking up in the Highlands in the dead of winter and almost froze to death. I would have DIED. I have terrible circulation and cannot take extreme cold. But swimming is different: you get really warm, and cold water feels quite refreshing. Ice water, however, is a different matter. We're lucky we lived to tell the tale.<BR/><BR/>Susie -- My friend lives in Madison too, and we drove out to Devil's Lake that day. She and her husband had an idea that it was a little early to swim in the lake, but they were completely unaware that it had just thawed. <BR/><BR/>Madison is just beautiful. It is one of our favorite cities and you are lucky to live there! (Especially now that winter is over...)<BR/><BR/>Angela -- I might have had more of a clue if I were from Northern California. Along the edge, the water was only a little chilly. I knew that once I started swimming, the temperature would be fine. What I didn't realize was that the temperature in the middle would be icy. Boy, did I feel like a jack-ass when I found out...Mary Witzlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06458299046574564155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-40740366808415918772008-04-30T22:53:00.000+01:002008-04-30T22:53:00.000+01:00*shivers* Scar-y. And I'm totally impressed. I mea...*shivers* Scar-y. And I'm totally impressed. I mean, being from Califoria, you'd think that if anything, the waters would seem impossibly frigid, not a little 'chilly.'Angela Ackermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01808259088625142389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-52947495192263163592008-04-30T20:43:00.000+01:002008-04-30T20:43:00.000+01:00too funny. I'm actually from Madison, which is ab...too funny. I'm actually from Madison, which is about an hour away from d.lake! I'll think of you this summer as we're camping there....in August when the water's warm :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-45985552384780129042008-04-30T18:03:00.000+01:002008-04-30T18:03:00.000+01:00Wow Mary! You are ballsy! There is no way I would ...Wow Mary! You are ballsy! There is no way I would have made it even halfway, I hate being cold! You are such a trooper!Ello - Ellen Ohhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18311917335471167591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-31291051231536750112008-04-30T17:49:00.000+01:002008-04-30T17:49:00.000+01:00Calculating the risks we confront in our lives, ch...Calculating the risks we confront in our lives, challenging ourselves, gives us a sense of accomplishment which is important for our survival and growth.<BR/><BR/>Choosing which risks we decide to take on is one of the aspects that differentiates us from others. I, for one, would NEVER have chosen to attempt such a swim. Yet many others would not have done what I have - launch myself out of an airplane from 12,000 feet... repeatedly.<BR/><BR/>Attempting (and surviving) the risks we take makes us the unique individuals we are. And all of us love to hear those stories!Robert the Skeptichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10863488312604865183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-14642828750160214102008-04-29T23:48:00.000+01:002008-04-29T23:48:00.000+01:00Monique -- We were keenly aware of that. It made u...Monique -- We were keenly aware of that. It made us all the more determined to keep a steady, even pace and try not to panic.<BR/><BR/>Danette -- Thanks, but I don't come out looking too smart in this, do I? Posting this almost took more guts than the swim.<BR/><BR/>Anti-wife -- Ah, but you haven't seen HOW I swim! My husband tells me I don't look as graceful as I feel. I hope no one ever videos me swimming. I don't want to know the truth. <BR/><BR/>Kara -- But Wisconsin is so beautiful! Now Kansas on the other hand -- I'll never forget crossing Kansas in the summer. It doesn't seem fair that a place that cold in the winter could be that hot in the summer.Mary Witzlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06458299046574564155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-81559447742982085512008-04-29T22:00:00.000+01:002008-04-29T22:00:00.000+01:00this is why the middle states suck. yep. i said it...this is why the middle states suck. <BR/><BR/>yep. i said it.karahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01690274092026593186noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-90026077403778033012008-04-29T19:37:00.000+01:002008-04-29T19:37:00.000+01:00I thought swimming a mile a day in a pool during g...I thought swimming a mile a day in a pool during grad school was great. You make me look like a real piker. And your daughter is lucky she's not an orphan.The Anti-Wifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02027321787352577548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-49392702505254848302008-04-29T16:28:00.000+01:002008-04-29T16:28:00.000+01:00Another wonderful post! Good job, Mary.Another wonderful post! Good job, Mary.Danette Haworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13220718895967380788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-29951608063412022032008-04-29T15:29:00.000+01:002008-04-29T15:29:00.000+01:00What an adventure. You could have died there.What an adventure. You could have died there.Moniquehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09349799166295592394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-8041718307529710262008-04-29T15:15:00.000+01:002008-04-29T15:15:00.000+01:00Carole -- (Great minds think alike: you and I were...Carole -- (Great minds think alike: you and I were writing at the exact same time!)<BR/><BR/>When it comes to swimming, I have to admit it: I may not be one of the best, but I am no slouch. And when it comes to long-distance swimming, I've only met a few people who can go on longer than I can. This doesn't have much to do with my athletic ability; most people just get bored and get out of the water. <BR/><BR/>However, remember: You have managed a homerun! I could sooner fly to the moon on a vacuum cleaner than run a homerun.Mary Witzlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06458299046574564155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-57397639609054707312008-04-29T15:11:00.000+01:002008-04-29T15:11:00.000+01:00Kim -- I agree, though nowadays I confine my risks...Kim -- I agree, though nowadays I confine my risks to biting off the bottom of my ice cream cones and planting out my sweet peas before all danger of a frost is past. Catch me sitting around waiting for the day I die!<BR/><BR/>Debra -- That's what it feels like just now with moody teenagers around. I have to remind myself that the other side may well be there; that I may even start to enjoy the swim more often than not at some point. But you've already done this, so you know better than I!<BR/><BR/>Kathie -- We felt like such fools. In fact I was the one who really felt idiotic; my good man kept wondering if the water only felt warm around the edges, but I scorned his cautious approach. <BR/><BR/>Now I'm trying to picture your car on a cross-continental trip. Oodles of camping equipment? An extra cooking stove? Two spare sleeping bags and half a dozen flashlights? Your parents fascinate me as much as my own!<BR/><BR/>Cindy -- I used to entertain ideas about joining a group of women who swam to Alcatraz from San Francisco every year. I was invited to go with them by a fellow swimmer, but it was finally the thought of biting seals that put me off. And that water is COLD! In Japan, every winter a group of mainly old men go swimming in icy water. No way in God's green earth am I going to do that, but I'm grateful for that New Yorker article all the same!<BR/><BR/>Charles -- Someone else with more sense than I have. Welcome to the club -- it's got a hugh membership!Mary Witzlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06458299046574564155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-4543901047100010602008-04-29T15:09:00.000+01:002008-04-29T15:09:00.000+01:00I will admit to the desperate need to hear the mor...I will admit to the desperate need to hear the moral of the story.<BR/><BR/>But I just want to say, YOU LOSE. I couldn't swim across a five foot kiddie pool. You are not the most unathletic of the two of us.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03828426520214270655noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-42757752803742067382008-04-29T14:46:00.000+01:002008-04-29T14:46:00.000+01:00I'll almost always take the path less traveled, bu...I'll almost always take the path less traveled, but I'm not swimming a lake in May anywhere.Charles Gramlichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02052592247572253641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-19434327672978518112008-04-29T14:45:00.000+01:002008-04-29T14:45:00.000+01:00I wouldn't have been tempted to swim, but I've mad...I wouldn't have been tempted to swim, but I've made my share of questionable choices like this. I commend you!<BR/><BR/>There was an article in a recent New Yorker (4/21/2008) that you'll want to see. Apparently it's possible to swim in extreme cold -- you may be pleased to know you're not alone. Here's a link to the abstract: "<A HREF="http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/04/21/080421fa_fact_cox" REL="nofollow">A Dip in the Cold</A>."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-85645392414529406142008-04-29T14:16:00.000+01:002008-04-29T14:16:00.000+01:00Mary, this is so great. I'm laughing, crying. I ca...Mary, this is so great. I'm laughing, crying. I can just imagine the guy's thoughts...just melted last week? That's incredible. I grew up swimming and I hated swimming in cold water more than anything. Not good when the first half of summer swimming in PA is always a frigid affair. But I know what you mean. Maybe we can meet for a swim sometime. Though lets be sure the thaw's at least a few weeks old. Oh, yeah, my family drove across country twice when I was a kid. There is nothing like it--both good and bad stuff. I'm sure you can imagine that my parents' hoarding habits figure into the trips somehow...I'll just let you imagine how.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-17307147836651734742008-04-29T12:58:00.000+01:002008-04-29T12:58:00.000+01:00What a great story, Mary. Sometimes life presents ...What a great story, Mary. Sometimes life presents us with lakes and we have to keep swimming to the other side.debrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17676300309029588465noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-63730072379812950422008-04-29T12:52:00.000+01:002008-04-29T12:52:00.000+01:00When you no longer take risks, you're just waiting...When you no longer take risks, you're just waiting for the day you die.Kim Ayreshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02656677501116622953noreply@blogger.com