What does swimming have to do with Facebook?

Today, I achieved a goal that I set a few years ago.  I live in a neighborhood that has a small lake and I clearly remember the first time visiting the lake and thinking, "I want to swim across this lake!"  The swim is approximately 1/2 mile from the dock at one beach to the far beach on the other side (1 mile total for a round-trip).

I have made multiple attempts at swimming in the lake in order to build up my ability to swim the entire length.  Each time, however, I stopped swimming and went on to something else (trail running, lifting, eating potato chips and watching Sportscenter)...

That changed this week.

I decided to go for a swim on Monday and I was able to make it 1/2 way across the lake.  I decided to post an update on Facebook and some friends from multiple chapters of my life made comments.  The one comment that  immediately caught my attention referred to a swimming rival that I had in high school.  This rival was a female swimmer who beat me in every event during every co-ed swim meet.  I clearly remember my friends making fun of me for always (and I mean ALWAYS) losing to her.

The comment on my Facebook wall that caught my attention said something along the lines of "If you can't swim the rest of the way, then everybody knows that she [real name used in the comment] can!"

My competitive juices ignited.

I swam 3/4 of the way the next day.  The day after (today), I finished the job and swam all the way to the other side and back (approximately 1 mile long total).

I had attempted to swim the entire way multiple times during the past 3 years but I didn't make it until today.   Needless to say, I would not have made it apart from the extra motivation provided from a simple Facebook comment that brought back many memories of being embarrassed in swimming pools across north Jersey in 1992-1994...

Facebook continues to amaze me.  I truly am astounded by the fact that individuals from multiple chapters of my life can intersect in one place and interact over current events in my life.

In this case, that intersection provided the motivation to finish the job and swim the entire length of the lake!

Thank you Zuckerberg for creating Facebook!