Beautiful individual in my pool . . .

Dear you,

I have been thinking about the pandemic’s effect on us as social beings, especially its effects on the individual.  The individual I am talking about is not exhausted by social distancing.  He/she is exhausted by the absorption into “safe” groups, the clans judged as not hazardous or contagious. This person likes to go his/her own way.  Not a hermit or misanthrope, he/she simply enjoys being.  Simply that.  Being, acting, doing whatever, on his/her own.

Let’s call this universal individual Smith.

This is Smith’s scenario:

During the pandemic, travel has been constrained so families are clumping into cars and driving to places that are wide-open like Seagrove Beach, FL.  The clan Smith belongs to did this.  Smith endured the loud journey, the arguments about snacks, the tension between Mom and Dad who are ten inches from divorce.  Upon arrival, to the condo complex I live in, the clan unpacks frantically, fueled by a drive for dominance:

 “We’ve got to get to the beach and claim a big spot.”

 “We’ve got to take over the pool.”

“We’ve got to fill up these coolers before the Tom Thumb runs out of ice and BEER!”

“We’ve got to make memories together.”

It is all about the big WE.

Now, back to Smith.

During the chaos and settling in, Smith goes to the pool beneath my balcony.  Strangely enough, it is empty and quiet down there.  He takes off his shirt and shoes and dives in.  He doesn’t “CANNONBALL” in and cry for the clan to join him.  He just dives in.  An individual in a pool.  A beautiful dive at that.  And then he swims, he really swims.  Perfect backstrokes, breaststrokes, standard crawl, and these lovely dolphin arcs in and out of the water.

I am mesmerized.  I am not accustomed to seeing actual swimming going on in our swimming pool.  And I rarely see artful swimming executed by an individual.

Smith is happy.

Smith is Smith after a long drive with the memory makers.

He is an individual.

This is troubling to the clan.  A man who appears to be the patriarch steps out on his balcony and asks Smith what he is doing down there ALL BY HIMSELF?  “Come back up; we’re having FUN.”

Smith keeps swimming.

Patriarch shakes his head and goes back inside.

                                                                    ******

There are a lot of Smiths out there, distanced, and yet submerged into a “safe” group.   This year, the groups are getting bigger.  And I am not sure this is good for the individual.

Here’s to Smith.

Keep swimming solo.

Love,
Joyce