Twelve years ago I quit smoking because my best girlfriend, Alyssa, had quit and I was, I think now, feeling competitive. At the time I was smoking three packs a day, and it was another bad habit that needed to go. They told me that every cigarette smoked represents a feeling stuffed and not felt, so I shouldn't have been surprised when I fell into depression. I got help from my physician and one of the things he recommended was exercise, so I began walking around Lake Merritt, the beautiful lake in the heart of Oakland. Eventually I began jogging and loved it, but more on that later.
The first Wednesday I walked the Lake, I noticed two rowboats in the center of the Lake filled with women dressed in white with blue scarfs and sailor hats, just rowing around the Lake. What a trip! I thought. I wonder who they are. For the next several years, every Wednesday morning that I was down at the Lake, they were there, too, and I got curious
Turns out they are called The Ladies of the Lake, and they are a group of women who have been dressing in sailor uniforms and boating on the Lake since 1916. Damn! 1916!?! Over the years, generations of women from the same families have taken up the mantle, and there are always ladies interested in joining. Sometimes one boat is out there, frequently two and once in a while, you spot three of them. Unless it's raining, you can count on seeing them. They're so goofy, such an atavism in a city known more for gang wars and urban blight than genteel activities, but that's the real Oakland for you, a city full of paradox and beauty to match the rough side the media emphasizes.
A couple of years ago I was in a bad car accident, injured my left foot and was left with what doctors told me was a permanent limp. They also told me I would most likely never be able to jog again and would just have to adjust, particularly since my job involves intense physical labor for several hours a day. They said I could walk the Lake occasionally but that was it.
About five weeks ago, I was doing just that when I realized I was no longer limping and thought, "Hey! Let me just try jogging again!" Five weeks later, I'm almost all the way around the Lake (3.5 miles) without stopping and I am ecstatic. I was a regular at the Lake and every day I run into folks I used to see on the daily and we are so happy to see each other. It feels so good.
And nothing felt better than the first Wednesday morning I was back at the Lake and spotted the Ladies of the Lake, rowing their boats, chillin' like villains and assuring me that this day, like so many others, would be chockfull of unexpected delights and joys, if only I pay attention and keep my mind open. I love me some Ladies of the Lake!
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