Inside 'The Bubble'

As some of you may know, I am the swim teams biggest fan that is not a parent. I have been to just about every meet that I could make it to since the season started. Sure, there was other reasons for me to be going, and those reasons are still a pretty big part of showing up every time, but I have come to really love watching all those people swim. It is sort of relaxing.

Anyhow, last weekend was the biggest meet so far. There were 15 teams all crammed into the pool. It was a little claustrophobic-ish. When I got home I didn't want to be around anyone.

The lovely Madrigals of Canyon View sang the National Anthem at this big meet. We stood on the bulkhead and gave it everything we had. We didn't have Mrs. Tawa with us and in the pool the sound is VERY different. Some parts were hard to stay together, so I conducted at times. All the spectators and swimmers so were so impressed with us that we didn't get to finish. Oh well!

Once we were cut off by the crowd, we walked off the bulkhead and went our separate ways. I walked over to Matt, who just happened to be standing pretty close to the bulkhead. He was talking to this kid named Jeremy. Jeremy can come up with some pretty awkward conversations.

Side note: The next day at the swim meet while Matt and I were sitting next to each other with Richard and Carri, Jeremy asked if I had ever been in love. I answered no, and then the same question was asked to Matt. It was a little strange. Then one day at school Jeremy sat by us at lunch and asked me what I would think if I ever married Matt. Yeah, that was also a little strange.

Back to the story. Jeremy asked why Matt and I were always together. We pulled our twin move, and he fell for it. We did not keep him in the dark, however.

Shortly after confessing the the truth to Jeremy, something very interesting happened. The Highland team was sitting in close proximity to our team. There was this kid sitting on the cement bench things and he asked me if I was one of the singers. I said yes very enthusiastically, thinking that he was going to tell me we sounded good. I was wrong. He said, "Is your voice as nice as your body?"

I hid, like playing hide-and-seek hid, behind Matt. He spoiled me by pulling the twin card yet again. He said, "Hey! Don't mess with my sister!"

Danielle came and asked me if we had seen Katie. Katie had ran away with my phone to call Charley so we went to find her. While walking to find her, I asked Matt for his parka. I rather like it when Matt wears his parka at swim meets because it's modest. Sure, everyone else has their bare chest showing, but it is nice to not stare at his six-pack. And Matt knows that. So for me to ask for his parka said everything about how I felt: uncomfortable, embarrassed, take your pick.

The following Sunday I had another lesson on Pornography and how harmful it is in our society. While I was listening to that lesson, I realized why I had felt so uncomfortable. I felt like I was walking talking pornography to that disgusting boy and his friends that giggled with him. It is an awful feeling. My self-worth plummeted.

So I went through the week remembering that God loves me and those boys don't matter. God has given me Matt and Richard and David and Eric and Trent who all treat me with high respect and... gratitude. I have always felt of worth around them. When I am with them, I can feel the Holy Ghost.

And to my girlfriends and sisters, if anyone ever EVER treats you like that, tell them that they have no right to treat you like that. Because they don't.