Thick Description

The soft ripple of water rubs onto my body as I enter from the side. The electrical lights hum around me as night falls upon my apartment complex. The distinct but mild scent of the chlorine tickles my nose as my body adjusts from the initial shock of the cold. Though seemingly unspectacular, these are all things that capitalize my enjoyment of being in a pool. Why you ask? I feel it is because you do not need to be actually doing something to enjoy a pool. Sometimes just savoring the experience is more meaningful than continued activity.

            The water envelops my body, creating an underwater suit for my mostly exposed body. It is an increasingly warm embrace as my body adjusts to its temperature. My cares and burdens are suspended in its weightless form. My mind has been soothed and my muscles are at ease. I feel one with the water, almost as if it is an extension of my body. In here, I am not tall or short, fat or skinny, smart or dumb. I feel just like everyone else.

            The pool’s appearance only enhances this feeling. Nothing about this pool distinguishes it as standing out from the crowd. The floor surrounding it is a sturdy gray concrete, clearly planned for strength than aesthetics. A skinny black fence seals of the pool from the world, its cold and metallic surface as an intimidation to those not allowed inside. Empty space surrounds on each side of the pool, emphasizing it as the most visible and viable thing beyond the gates. Steam from the hot tub simmers and rises above its water, encased by a coarse red wall of bricks. Standard. That is the word I think of when looking at this pool.

            And yet it is truly what is below the surface that makes the pool enjoyable. Beneath the plainness of the exterior, there is life in this pool. What kind of life? Every kind of life. Every human beings have their existence tied to water for far more reasons than just quenching thirst. It could be a birthday party, swimming laps for a race, their first swimming lesson, finding a spot to bath or any number of moments. No matter how you do or do not dress its exterior, everyone can find something to savor from any pool. Pondering this, memories of family, friends and acquaintances arise in my mind. Their smiles, their laughs, their energy and their personalities shed light on moments long since past. Some of these people I have not seen in years, but it is our experiences with the pool that keeps them in my mind. There is something comfortably universal about pools of water.

            A creaking is heard as the front gate opens. Indistinct chatter and clopping sandals are heard as people from my complex come to enjoy the pool. The quiet of my thoughts has dispelled for a moment. Towels are plopped onto the cold metallic table on the side with a dull thud. Uncovered feet now clap against the slight wet surface around the pool. Jubilant laughs echo across the empty spaces as an explosion of water erupts from their forceful entrance into the water. Large ripples slap my face, their coldness causing my skin to tingle.

            My quiet time in the pool has come to an end. The cold air brushes against my body as the rapid splashing of water coming off my body is heard in the pool. My towel glides across my skin, trying to be a replacement to the warm embrace of the water. Drips of water dot the concrete beneath my feet. The burdens of the world rest upon my shoulders again. I will have to plan for another quiet time soon.

Artistic Statement

Pondering about spots that are significant to me, I had to come to a conclusion that there really was no one spot I would say is distinctly significant. I could not say that one store is better than the rest. I could not say this one tree is more interesting than another. I could not say this one table meant more than any other. I had to think of something that could be more…universal. Something that could be reflected upon not only for its literal traits, but also for the way it affected me personally. And then I remembered the pool outside of my complex. I had been in there several times and each time was a joyful moment. It reminded me of many pools in the past and many positive memories associated with them. It became my topic.

One thing I tried to emphasize was having a point that I cared about. As I soaked in the location, I thought about everything I could that involved a pool. This became part of the narrative for this description. I have had many experiences where I would take time to think while in a pool, a bath or any number of bodies of water. Being surrounded by water was connected to moments of introspection just as much as being entertained with other people. I focused on this and it led to my concept about the universal nature of water.

I didn’t want to just list my memories or just list the description of the pool. I wanted my thoughts to go in whatever tangent they could take me. Sometimes it meant just looking at the objects around me and sometimes it meant pondering deeper concepts. This became a concept for the structure my paper. The style would reflect my thoughts and impressions as the time progressed. The descriptions of the water affecting me, the physical description of the pool, the deeper thoughts I had and then the literal events of the people coming in. An experience is not just one single moment of constant literal thought or introspection. It encompasses a lot more range than that and I attempted to write my paper with that in mind.