Trophy Season

Early morning Massachusetts Bay Swim, 11/26/2024

My family was in Massachusetts for a hot minute, with many apologies to all the people I love in Massachusetts who we didn’t see: it was my younger kid’s birthday, and my older kid is off to college next year, and younger kid’s birthday wish was to have one last birthday that was just the four of us in a place we all like. So we spent two days in Provincetown. Our first morning I looked at the bay and regretted not bringing my swimsuit, so I picked something up from Marine Specialties.

I also picked up a black swim shirt from Cape Tip, which looked excellent with my gold lamé shorts but is less photogenic. I don’t know how photogenic I was in the whole outfit but I hope to never find out, though I believe there is some photographic evidence. When one behaves like a loon in front of family, one is likely to be photographed.

In about 48 hours I jumped in the bay four times. The first time it was low tide, so it wasn’t really jumping: I waded in, then sat down, then lay back. The other three times I jumped. One of those times, I even swam a little. (A very little.) Nevertheless, I felt quite mighty. I may have made my children call me TROPHY GUY.

I have said before, perhaps in this space, that my epitaph should read, She cracked herself up. I only mean I don’t take my talent for self-amusement for granted.

Now we are gone from the sea and the state of my birth and are meeting family for Thanksgiving. I wish you a peaceful end of November or, failing that, the gift of auto-comedy.