Today we went to Walden Pond. It's been cold the last few days, in the 40's but with a breeze that makes it feel much colder. Today was supposed to be warmer, and it was a bit, but we certainly bundled up, and the water looked none too inviting.
We met a man, there, though, who was getting ready to go for a swim. He's 91. He tries to swim in Walden Pond every day of the year, and has done so for 24 years. He sets up his chair and sits for a while, chatting with the regulars who walk around the pond at lunchtime every day. Then he puts on his swimsuit (he recommends that newbies start with a wetsuit but said he's too stubborn to give in) and goes for a dip. If the pond has iced over during the night, he brings a bat to break up the ice. In the winter he might only swim for five minutes, but he figures he has to go every day or he won't be able to stand it after taking a break. Kind of a funny way to spend your 90's, but he said a big reason he does it is simply that it gets him out of the house every day. I've seen lots of elderly folks planted in front of the boob tube, so I suppose he has a point.
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