Member-only story
Open Water Swimming in the Realm of the Gods
Outpacing gods, communing with past archetypes, and curing hangovers in Lake Michigan
Zeus himself attempted to follow me as I swam east along the southern shore of Lake Michigan. His cloud chariot kicked up an angry tempest behind me as I glided almost atop the cool but pleasant waters. Distant flashes in the blooming clouds kept me apprised of the god’s presence each time I took a breather and looked back.
Or perhaps it wasn’t Zeus but Poseidon’s younger cousin, Polakedon, who followed me that day? Whoever it was, I outpaced the irate sky god's brewing tempest until it blew south, away from me. My easy, unlabored stroke was a gesture one usually associates with birds to all the angry gods.
With nearly flat waters and now pleasant skies ahead, I kept on until deep into Michiana territory. There, I judged to have reached my halfway point and turned around, back towards my place of origin. Swimming with a gentle breeze, I glided ever faster and was not overcome with fatigue. My burdens lifted and I felt free. Being possessed with some kind of uncanny fish magic, I glided all the way back to a place I once called home: Stop 28.
[End of Summer, 2021]
