I went swimming (and took a shvitz) in my building on my lunch break

Never Done: I went swimming (and took a shvitz) in my building on my lunch break

It was a long morning that stretched into the afternoon. Trainings, meetings, reading through the files that the old arts and culture director left, building tour. It was 2 pm before I had 5 minutes to eat a sandwich at my desk and 3:10 pm before I got to take a break, and I had another meeting at 4. My head was spinning from learning computer programs, and My eyes were shutting from a poor night's sleep. So what's a Jewish arts professional to do? Drink coffee? Never! Not at least when there's a swimming pool three floors down. So I grabbed my suit, which is already living under my desk. Now, I knew the pool was going to close at 3:30, and for a moment I considered that maybe I didn't have enough time to swim. But then I reconsidered. Was I going for a workout? No. I was going for refreshment. So I went down and changed into my suit and entered the pool deck. Wow. What a pool deck. It's on the 5th floor, with floor to ceiling windows - light streaming in. I hopped into an empty lane, and I started to swim laps. I was tired, I was tight, I was thinking about arts programming for MLK day, but I was swimming in the middle of my work day. Amazing. Before I knew it, the pool closed, and so I hopped out and showered. (They have shampoo and conditioner and soap!) But I'd only been out of the office for 15 minutes and there was a steam room just beckoning me, so I went in. Just for five minutes, but five minutes of hot steam in the middle of the work day! And another shower! (And q-tips and body lotion and deodorant!) (And towel service!) and before I knew it, I was back upstairs taking a call (my first, never done) about comps for the next program and off to a meeting with the box office manager and then another with my boss. But I was fresh, attentive, and relaxed.

Swimming is a Jewish value. We are actually mandated to teach our children to swim. Ostensibly that's because it's a safety measure - to prevent unnecessary drowning. But I also value swimming for it's relaxing, strengthening, and meditative qualities. And for all that, I said the Shehekhianu. Omeyn.