My friend Keith has been counting the days to his son’s graduation for years. Michael will speak at his graduation from the College of Engineering at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. tomorrow, on Friday, May 19, 2023. On Sunday, he will graduate with the Class of 2023 in a commencement ceremony on the National … Continue reading #withkeith
Today I will join a friend in swimming 11 miles in open water, hugging the coast of my next-door neighbor island. My friend and fellow swimmer created the Swim of Hope as an act of love and support for a fellow swimmer, who is living with pancreatic cancer. I am swimming for my friend Keith … Continue reading Say it, then do it
In a couple weeks, my friend Christina and I will swim 11 miles, a feat neither of us has ever done. Christina named it the “Swim of Hope.” I take my inspiration for this swim from my friend Christina who created it on behalf of our friend Keith, who is living with hope and pancreatic … Continue reading Swim of Hope
Last week, I showed up at the cove to swim. One fellow swimmer was there. We stood on the higher ground and surveyed the situation: we couldn’t see anything but fog. We couldn’t see any of our usual markers: not our first stop, the blue boat on the far side of the cove, none of … Continue reading In the fog
I returned to my island home on Earth Day last week. Mind you, flying 12 hours, through three packed airports on two completely full planes was not the ideal, nor my preferred, way to celebrate Earth Day. I was double-masked for nearly 12 hours, even though I had tested negative before I began my journey. … Continue reading Every Day is Earth Day
Near the end of January, I checked the weather. It was freezing. With the ripping northeast wind, the temperature was 13 degrees. There was a small craft advisory. That wind direction meant there’d be impressive chop in the small cove. Perfect day of a swim. And not. We decided to meet at the cove and … Continue reading United We Swim
In the days and weeks since my father’s death, I go to the water to smell the salt air and taste the salt water when my own tears won’t fall. I go to the water for solace and guidance as cancer ravages my sister’s body in the heavy wake of my father’s death. I go … Continue reading I go to the water
When I drive over the bridge for my morning swim, I can sometimes make out the currents moving and swirling in the channel. I cast my eyes to the cove, and sometimes I can see the currents there, too. The ocean is full of currents. Along the shore, in the bay and the channel, shifting … Continue reading Put your head down and swim
I’ve completed at least six Save the Bay Narragansett swims, from the Naval Station Newport to Potter Cove in Jamestown. It’s a fabulous gathering of swimmers–of all ages, backgrounds and experiences–at least 500-strong. This year’s swim was scheduled for July 11; it was not to be. It would be a virtual event; the pandemic nixed … Continue reading STB: Team Pier Pressure
redbootsblog 