Is there a Swimmer in the House? Some Subtle Clues Provide the Answer
Much like little Easter Eggs left in movies, the contents of a house can give glimpses into the activities of its inhabitants. If you look closely enough while watching a film, you might notice a painting that foreshadows the main character’s grim ending. Similarly, if you investigate even the cleanliest of homes, you may see a discarded ribbon that would be meaningless to some, but tells a trained eye that a ballerina has recently flitted through the halls. This goes for almost every house. While it may be much more obvious in one home than another, what are some clues that undoubtedly tell you a swimmer resides there?
Hooks (For Decoration?)
Hooks have likely been installed in a swimmer’s house for a few reasons. They may be by the front door or over the bathtub to hang wet equipment bags on. A hook could also be for hanging up a wet suit or a wet towel. Basically, swimmers have a lot of wet stuff that needs to dry out. However, there’s a good chance that towels end up growing mildew in the bottom of a swim bag, an equipment bag gets left behind in the car, or a suit gets thrown over the back of a chair. Even though there’s always a possibility that the hooks you see in a swimmer’s house will be suspiciously empty, they will be there if you know where to look.
Random Alarms
Although alarms may not be tangible things, they are still common and necessary to the household of a swimmer. The beauty of swimmer’s alarms is that they aren’t your typical morning wakeup calls. About two or three times a week, a dedicated swimmer may have to roll out of bed in the early early morning hours in order to make practice before school. Not only will alarms quack before the sun comes up, but they also may be heard at random daylight hours. It is not uncommon to be fond of naps in the swimming world. If the walls of a swimmer’s house could talk, they would likely beg that their occupants get on a more relaxing sleep schedule.
Trophies, Medals, and Ribbons
Obviously, awards are not unique to the sport of swimming and span throughout the households of many other athletes. However, a closer look at a shelf of swimming awards would reveal the sport of interest. The trophies would surely be of a little person diving off miniature blocks, or a stopwatch with a cresting wave in the back. Medals would be adorned with lane lines, and any ribbons on display would have convenient stickers on the back stating the place, event, and date that the ribbon was earned. Easter Eggs in movies are not always crystal clear at first: some require a double-take.
A Faint Whiff of Chlorine
Believe it or not, swimmers often smell like chlorine. There’s not much to this one; if you think you smell chlorine after strolling into a house with no pool in the backyard in the dead of winter, then it would be safe to start inferring that a swimmer might live there. If you happen to use the restroom and catch sight of a multitude of shampoo brands, then feel free to lock that theory in.
Retired Heat Sheets
It always seems like swimmers can come across discarded heat sheets anywhere in their house. They may have somewhat random names highlighted. There could be coffee stains on them from a parent disgruntled from having to wake up so early, or food stains from a snacking swimmer. Whatever level of disrepair the heat sheets may be in, it just seems they are something that can’t be let go of. For whatever reason, most heat sheets are there to stay long after they’ve been put to use. If you’re lucky enough to come across one of these fossils in a swimmer’s home, take a peek at the names. Maybe you’ll find yourself in there!
Miscellaneous
There can also be the miscellaneous goggle strap or expired snorkel laying around a swimmer’s house. Perhaps there’s a pair of sandals waiting by the door when there’s snow on the ground, waiting to be worn with socks to practice. Every swimmer does things a little differently, but there’s no escaping the habits that many of us have picked up over the years.
All commentaries are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.