Looking young

Back to the pool today for 1000 yards. Almost forgot what it's like to smell like chlorine all day!

I was able to swim a little stronger today, but I still get winded pretty quickly. I've talked to the people at the pool about their semi-private lessons. Most people think I'd be wasting my money, and that all I need is practice. The truth is that it's not that expensive, and it might be one way to enforce practice time! The guy in charge of the pool is off today, so I'll talk to him more later in the week. (Lessons start next week.)

I actually got complimented on my swimming today, on how smooth it was. I'm sure it was just because there was some incredibly rude woman there who was just backstroking and eggbeating over everybody in her way. That is something that's really annoying about swimming. Some people think the pool is only there for them, and don't acknowledge anybody else's right to be there. One of the ladies in the pool told the rude woman to be careful, but I don't think she heard her - or cared. What's interesting about her backstroke is that she bowls right over everybody without looking, but is then careful to look out for the wall as she gets close. I'd rather she looked out for other swimmers, and then went full speed into the wall at the end!

Anyway, back to the compliment. I actually do think that my swimming strokes are pretty smooth. It's just that I can't maintain a nice rhythm of breathing and swimming for too long at a time. So this lady, who doesn't really swim too gracefully, tells me that it's because of some surgery that she's had. In fact, she used to be a lifeguard, and she thinks I should take the test myself. I told her I didn't think I'd have much use for a lifeguard's certificate, but she said I could always work part time at the pool. I felt silly telling her I kind of have enough of a job, especially since it was in the middle of the day (lunch time) and I didn't seem too busy. (I guess she didn't notice me checking my beeper at the end of every set of laps.) Then as she swims away she calls out that I would also learn CPR. At that point I felt guilty for not telling her I was a doctor, but she was already swimming away.

I think a lot of people have a hard time believing I'm a doctor because of how young I look. The nurses in the operating room where I work remember me from my residency, but the ones on the floor keep mistaking me for a resident. (It boggles my mind why they keep doing that. All the residents walk around in scrubs. Now that I'm an attending, I generally wear a suit. I can't get over the fact that seeing me in a suit doesn't trigger some sort of brain process for them! But anyway...) This morning, was even funnier. I got asked if I was a pre-med student. I think the guy was just a little confused with the terminology, and was really thinking I was one of the medical students I was standing with. But it was funny nonetheless.

The good thing is that I enjoy looking young, and I don't mind people making these mistakes. I actually enjoy that the bartender at my (ex) roommate's wedding asked me if I was "old enough". The only downside is that I have to wear a suit to work, and I have to put up a billion diplomas to be taken seriously. That's not such a big price to pay!