waterproof wings

it's a long way to the top

lately i’ve been swimming laps in lieu of running. i tore my ACL last fall, got surgery on it at the end of January, and it is still not ready for running so i have to find another way to get that fix.

yesterday morning i went to the pool and naturally gravitated to the lap with the other noticeably gay person. i have no way to confirm this it was just a hunch that involved a speedo, a pink swim cap, and a general vibe.

i noticed that they had wings tattooed on their shoulders. i’m not sure if they were angel wings, or butterfly wings, or some other kind of wings, but i was moved by this. they also had a kind spirit, were gracious when i confirmed it was okay to split the lane.

their wings reminded me of an interview that Alexis Pauline Gumbs and her partner Sangodare did. Gumbs describes how when they first met, she didn’t feel ready to say yes, to step into the relationship and commitment. of the courage and conviction that Sangodare offered her, Gumbs said it was like them saying: “I see that you have wings but you can’t see them because they’re on your back.”

i like that this person has a permanent reminder of their wings. sometimes we need others to remind us of our wings, sometimes we can take it upon ourselves.

and sometimes, even though i know the wings are *technically* there, i feel irrevocably stuck on the ground. laid out, if you will.

my friend G has been doing 200 jumping jacks per day, and for some reason when they shared this routine with me on the phone i could not stop laughing. something about the inherent silliness of jumping jacks, coupled with our shared desperation, with the right mix of insistence and triumph cracked me right up.

so if you can’t fly, you can jump. and if you can’t jump, you can swim. and if you can’t swim, maybe you can still laugh.