I can say with confidence I'm happy with my life a good 87% of the time. That number tends to fluctuate during long school breaks and when my husband travels for work and calls me from the Bellagio after a really long day of "meetings" but I would say 87% is pretty accurate. The other 13% of the time I want to be Natalie Coughlin. I want to do like a "Freaky Friday" kind of thing, trade places and be Natalie Coughlin.
I think she's the epitome of fabulous. She has won 11 Olympic medals in 2 Olympics. She has won a medal in every Olympic event she has ever entered. She is the most decorated female swimmer in World Championship history. At 15 she was getting Summer Sander's autograph. At 15 I was going to this drive-in outside of Menomonie Falls with this guy in a "band" and not watching any of Breakfast Club (if you know what I'm sayin'.) Different goals.
I mean.....look at her.....
Her teeth are perfectly straight but they're white without that really off-putting "Brite Smile white" everyone in LA has. Her smile is genuine. I have not had the privilege of meeting her but I have friends who have and they say she's very sweet. A friend of mine has pictures of her kids with Natalie and as much as I know my friend's kids love their mom they look perfectly happy to stay right where they are sitting in Natalie's lap. On twitter she retweets everyone's request for good luck for a faster IM or to help find a child that's missing or to get the word out about someone's charity.
I mean.....look at her.......
Did you see her on Dancing With the Stars? Yeah, I watched it that season. I never watch DWTS and I tuned in for her. My own kids could be on DWTS and I wouldn't watch it. It's ridiculous. However, I watched it for Natalie and she was athletic and graceful and acted like a total lady. When she got kicked off I stopped watching and immediately took it off my Tivo. Seriously people, this is what's wrong with America.
I want to eat turnips and parsnips with ginger lime vinaigrette grown in my own organic garden. I want to make honey from my own bee farm and have chickens so I can crack an organic egg whenever I wish. I want to snack on dandelions while sitting on my deck with my dogs...surrounded by nothing but the sound of peace and quiet. I bet her dogs are well-trained, too.
For dinner I want to pop on down to Napa and eat at French Laundry at a table set up overlooking the vineyard. When I'm thirsty instead of a Diet Coke I want to reach for a healthy- yet -satisfying coconut water. For those times when I just haven't gotten enough exercise after training at the Olympic level all day I'd love to drive down to the Pacific and have a quick body surfing session.
I mean....look at her......
So Natalie, if you're reading this and you want to switch places with an exhausted, out of shape mother of triplets whose organic food supply comes from the freezer section at Trader Joes please email me at swimbrief@gmail.com. Again, it wouldn't be permanent. Maybe a long weekend after Worlds? Let's work something out.
She is awesome, it's true. Baby steps - you could try the coconut water and the ginger-lime vinaigrette, maybe a few laps in the pool. You live your own awesome, though, Lisa. You made three kids at once, and they're great kids! That is a superpower too, even on the days it doesn't feel like one.
ReplyDeleteI admire Natalie's ability to stay publicly smiling even when things don't go perfectly, like the way she handled her DQ in Santa Clara. Saying there was a silver lining, that it meant she was going farther on the same number of kicks, so it was actually good? That's a positive attitude right there and if she could bottle that and sell it, I would buy it.