Morning at the Beach

It was sunny morning at the beach.
A beautiful day, deserving of song.
But at 17 degrees,
nobody stayed in the water too long.

For some reason, in America, there's a minor tradition of jumping in cold water on New Years Day. In Chicago, the water of choice is Lake Michigan, and the favored spot is North Avenue Beach.

Why? I think it's something to do with those major New Years themes: resolution and starting afresh. I heard a man saying to a woman, "Once you've done this, you can do anything!"

That's not a literal truth, of course. There are always things you simply cannot do. But I suspect it's true that most people seriously under-challenge themselves in life.

This year, I signed up to do it with Freezin' for a Reason, a charitable effort which raises money to rescue retired racing greyhounds. After all, I like dogs, and I like silly rhymes.

So raising money, for runners with paws,
seemed like a fun and worthy cause.