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Just returned from Mankato and the 2025 Minnesota Senior Games. What a fun event! I was never a swimmer in high school or college, but my first college roommate was a swimmer and I went to watch him compete. Then, years later, our youngest daughter Denby swam competitively for a dozen years. We watched so many meets and I finally decided to give it a try. She helped me learn the strokes and encouraged me to keep swimming. Now, at these senior events, I enjoy the fun of being in a race and meeting new people.
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One of my favorite literary magazines published a short essay of mine recently. Deep Wild, from Colorado, features writings about places where there are no roads. I sent them an essay called "On Knowing the Wild" about a solo hike I took in the Beartooth Mountains of Montana several years ago. I went because I wanted to see a large glacially-cut cirque on a mountain and seeing it reminded of why I so much enjoy walking in the mountains and seeing wild places. I am very honored to have that essay in their excellent review.
Although I wasn't a swimmer in high school or college, I gave it a try in my mid-40s, swimming in a meet with two of my daughters. It was fun and I started swimming regularly, trying to learn more about the sport. I watched a few videos and talked to swimmers and coaches. I started feeling better in the water, and tried a few more meets. Last summer, I went to the Minnesota Senior Games and swam there, qualifying for the National Senior Games which were held last weekend in Des Moines, Iowa, just four hours down the road. I signed up for the Nationals, knowing that I would be competing against former high school and college swimmers, that I would be finishing far behind others in my heats. That's what happened, but it was a fun experience to be at Nationals and see other good swimmers who are in their 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s who are still swimming and enjoying the sport. In addition, it was great to meet so many friendly and happy people.
I read a recommendation for the book The War of Art by Steven Pressfield (Black Irish Entertainment, LLC, 2002) so I found a copy and read it. I was hoping to get a few ideas of inspiration for writing, but found myself with highlighter in hand marking passage after passage that rang true for me. He discusses the force he calls Resistance, the negative feeling that keeps us from completing projects, from taking on new challenges, from living our lives fully. He explains that "Resistance is not a peripheral opponent. Resistance arises from within. It is self-generated and self-perpetuated. Resistance is the enemy within." He goes on to give many examples of Resistance and makes good suggestions about how to overcome Resistance and move on in our lives. I found it a good read.
People leave Minnesota in the winter to go find heat, and return to enjoy the cool summers, but this summer is not working in their favor. Today we hit 91, a record day, and the heat index has gone well over 100. Very unusual for this part of the country.
The past four weeks have been loud and busy. The city replaced all the streets in the neighborhood and now the HOA has come in and replaced all the alleys and driveways. It has been a driving and parking nightmare, but now that the final layers are placed, the results are amazing. The streets are smooth and the area kids are out on the scooters and bicycles enjoying the smooth driveways and alleys. The neighborhood looks fresh and new.  I had been using my old Macbook Air for ten years. It still works fine, but I was getting concerned that I might lose a lot of data if something went wrong. I have a lot of essays, poems, and photos saved on it, so I went out looking and came home with a new version of the Macbook Air. Yes, it was worth it. The new one is much faster and smoother, and it is exciting since I have a long list of projects I want to write this fall and winter. It will be much easier with this new computer.
My friend Bruce and I paddled twelve miles on the Cannon River today. Absolutely beautiful. We saw at least 30 eagles soaring overhead, several deer including a small herd right in the river in front of us, and a host of other birds. The water level was perfect, giving us a safe and smooth ride. I have dreams about days like this.  I've always enjoyed reading articles and books by the Dalai Lama. He is a model for leaders everywhere, and I find his ideas so intriguing. I just finished reading his new book Voice For The Voiceless. It was interesting to read his account of the Chinese invasion of Tibet and his fleeing, as a teenage leader of a country, into exile in India. I also enjoyed reading about his discussion of the role of the Dalai Lama and how it has changed in a modern, global world. He has delegated much of the traditional responsibility to others, a wise move given his age and his situation in the world. He has yet to revisit Tibet even after more than sixty years in exile, but the Tibetan people still love him and the respect he commands around the world is immense.
Earlier I wrote that Big River Magazine had accepted an article of mine about boating on Lake Pepin. I have written another article for them about the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization headquartered in Northeast Minneapolis. They are working on multiple projects to help clean up the water in the Mississippi River and to improve drainage to the river in an urban setting. Their work is impressive. That article and photos, along with the piece on Lake Pepin are both scheduled for the July/August issue of Big River. I'm very excited about both of these articles.
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Photo by John Jancik
AuthorDr. Steve Gardiner is the author of nine books and over 1,000 articles. |