For decades I have swam for health and fitness (physical and mental). For the past seventeen years I have swam at the same pool, a short drive from my home. Over time, I’ve come to know the staff and swimmers quite well. People come and go but at any given time there is a stable, sizable aggregate of people who I see five days a week.
I easily engage others in a friendly manner, even if only to say “good morning” or nod my head in recognition that once again we are here. To engage people who speak English as a second language I have even used a small AI wearable to translate languages. Never met a stranger I say.
So, a regular at the pool, a woman, began to call me “The Mayor.” I am not totally comfortable with this moniker, but I have tried to take it good naturedly when someone shouts “Hey Mayor!.” I respond, “Who, me? I’ve got no budget, no duties, no responsibilities, no constituency, and no authority.”
Several swimmers have become friends away from the pool and one has even become the executor of my will! A group of us named ourselves “The Lapdogs”. We’ve met for breakfast once a month for six years, have gone sailing on the Chesapeake Bay, and biking on the C&O canal towpath. These friendships have added richness to my life, proving that fitness isn’t just for the mind/body – it’s also about building community.
However, there has been challenges. For example, there was the time a jealous husband threatened The Mayor with physical harm if he ever swam in the same lane as his wife. The Mayor hired a security detail.
However, there has been challenges. For example, there was the time a jealous husband threatened The Mayor with physical harm if he ever swam in the same lane as his wife. The Mayor hired a security detail.
What accounts for the Mayor’s extraversion and friendliness? There are three things. First, living alone primes him to seek social interaction, especially in the mornings when he swims. Second, he’s inherited a friendly, outgoing personality and a welcoming smile. And finally, his background in psychology has left him endlessly curious about people (and no, he’s not secretly psychoanalyzing anyone).
Being The Mayor may not come with official duties or power, but it has brought friends and humor. It reminds me that even in the simplest routines—like morning laps in the pool—there’s opportunity to create meaningful connections, build community, and leave a small but meaningful mark on those around one.
The Mayor
The Lapdogs