Thursday nights, I take Evie to weekly swim lessons at The Jewish Community Center, affectionately called "The J." My family grew up swimming competitively, and as I walk into the indoor pool, the smell of chlorine strangely soothes me.
As I sit watching Evie on the first night of lessons, I notice a large sign on the wall above the starting blocks. This feels like strategic placement and a metaphor in its own right. I've been in this pool many times, and, surprisingly, I didn't notice it before - it's big and kind of impossible to miss.
"The parent is bound to teach their children a craft. Some say also to teach them to swim."
I've been turning these words over every week since reading them. Unable to read the Hebrew or Aramaic citation, the quote appears to come from the Babylonian Talmud, Kiddushin 29a. Is this an instance of "when the student is ready the teacher will appear"? Whether it is or isn't, the quote grabbed me and I'm still pondering it.
What does it looks like to teach a child to swim? What does it look like to teach a child a craft? More pointentedly, given the recent data from the CDC about girls and anxiety, what does it mean to teach a girl to swim in our current cultural moment? I can't stop thinking about it.
No comments:
Post a Comment