Sunny Days

I went for a walk today at lunch - it was a beautiful sunny day, and my office compound is right beside a gorgeous river leading into Osaka Bay. It was warm and wonderful to feel the sunshine. Just before I got back to the stairs that lead back to my office, I saw a fish jump. I stopped to look, and another one jumped! I watched for 2 minutes, and the fish were continually jumping! They hadn't stopped when I left, and it was hard to walk away.

I had to wonder why fish jump...I've heard that it's to catch bugs that are flying just above the water's surface, but while I was watching them, I had a different thought. I think they jump for the pure elation of using all their momentum to come flying out of the water, feel the sunshine on their silver skins, and then splash back into the cool water. I could have watched forever.

I hit the gym after work and was proud of myself for not skipping anything. When I went to swim, there were 6 other men in the lane. The other lanes were just as busy, but this lane was moving faster, so I stayed in it. They all swam a couple laps, then stood at the end of the lane, resting. I kept swimming, but I felt like I was in a middle school movie. The guys spread themselves around the end and beginning of the sides of the lane, so when I swam to the far end, I swam through a corridor of people before getting to the end. I felt like I was in a movie where you have to run through the corridor of people and get hit by paddles (except no one was hitting me).