Dear Sully,
Recently I was re-reading all my old Jr. Swimmer-Swimming Worlds and I found an article by Susan and Judy Ferguson from Toronto about "a swimmer's HAPPINESS." Well, although the cliché of "happiness is a ____" is old, I thought you might like my version--A swimmer's MISERY.
Sue Smith NWAC
A Swimmer's Misery
| MISERY | is being the anchor on a relay team, ready to swim, when your team just got lapped. |
| MISERY | is missing a swim practice when nobody missed you. |
| MISERY | is having only a cold, wet towel to dry off with. |
| MISERY | is getting a new suit that Jantzen just came out with and finding out that your best friend had one and looks twice as good in it. |
| MISERY | is a big wall-clock that stops in the middle of a long workout. |
| MISERY | is getting on the blocks for a "400" with nobody at the other end to count for you. |
| MISERY | is having a "good night" at workout when somebody next to you is having a better one. |
| MISERY | is being laid off from swimming and finding that you have nothing to be miserable about anymore... |
(add one more, Susie. MISERY is being a newsletter editor and finding out your readers are funnier than you are!)--Sully
Flotsam & Jetsam: Stan Pantovic, Montreal's roving rent-dodger, has carried the war of letters a step too far. Up to this point he's kept his practical jokes sealed in an envelope, but his latest exchange was an open post-card that came at the height of the Malcolm X assasination furor, addressed to "Thomas X" and signed "Mohammed Allah." Since then my mail has been delivered by the bomb squad...........outdoor pools seem farther away than ever with each new blanket of snow. I tell my youngest swimmers it's not snow but 3 inches of Heaven--pure and white. Much to my surprise, they believe me (then I realized they believed workouts are Hell)............Doug Webster clipped a 1:48.4 200 free and also a 4:53 for the 500 (6th in the AAU's).........many good times from the Tigersharks, including over 100 new team records since the Christmas meet. Among new best times: M.B. Ceresko 2:11.0 200 free, 1:06.6 100 fly, 5:33 400 IM, 21:40.8 1650 free, 1:12.8 100 back, 2:38.3 200 back, 60.8 100 free, 2:33 200 IM, 5:57.0 500 free; Tom Bates 1:06.8 100 breast, 2:30.9 200 breast, 2:06.0 200 free; Bill Beiser (14) 1:10.8 100 breast, 2:35.8 200 breast, 31.9 50 breast, 59.5 100 free, 1:05.9 100 fly, 1:13.0 100 back, 2:28 200 IM; Carl Boyd 58.9 100 fly, 23.6 50 free, 53.8 100 free, 1:58.1 200 free; Ron Boyd 57.4 100 fly, 52.2 100 free, 22.8 50 free; Alice Ceresko (13) 2:29.7 200 fly, 29.9 50 fly, 1:14.1 100 back; Barb Church did a 1:13.8 100 back for a state record before she turned thirteen and then did 2:40.5 for the 200 back; Elaine Cooper (10) 33. 4 50 free, 38.2 50 fly, 1:29 100 IM, 42.1 50 back, 44.5 50 breast; Carol Danboise (14) 26.8 50 free, 59.8 100 free, 2:33.9 200 fly, 2:31. 0 200 IM, 5:27.0 400 IM: Gail Danboise (8) 44.0 50 free; Karen Delair (13) 1:08.0 100 free, 34.9 50 fly: Greg Golin 57.5 100 free, 19.12.2 1650 yards, 1:02.7 100 back, 2:15.7 200 back, 2:21.2 200 IM, 5:05.1 400 IM (Greg is 14); Carol Danboise 2:30 200 meter free; Gary Gottschling (12 yrs. old) 28.9 50 back, 1:01.9 100 back, 2:16.6 200 back, 25.4 50 free, 57.2 100 free,
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