Polar Bear in March? Oh yeah!

For three years I have seen the staff of PMOEC excitedly walk down to the pond every few days in the early spring. Each trip back, their grins have grown wider until they can finally tell us all that the ice has gone out and its time. Its time for insanity. The insanity of which I speak is a polar bear plunge. The staff gathers on the day after, or as close to the day after the ice goes out. They hope for sun, and have usually been obliged. They huddle close on the swim docks side of the pond- thank goodness those face west. Then, their enthusiasm turns to anxiety as each piece of clothing comes off. As they make their way to the pond's edge, the anxiety turns to fear, as their toes touch the icey water that is over the edge of the docks, where the water usually abides for the winter. Next comes the plunge. Every other year I have stood on the sidelines. I have taken pictures. I have held towels. I haven't understood. But this year, I got the bug. The ice went out early and, as it subsided, the temperatures climbed to record highs. It seemed like the perfect year for me to jump in- literally. On the 19th of March (an alltime early in my documented history of PMOEC) all of the PMOEC staff onsite went to the pond after work- the warmest part of the day. Shai, the Maintenance Director, was our lifeguard. Tim the Assistant Director, watched my daughter. And I finally took the plunge. I had myself mentally and physically prepared for the worst. I had been into the Colorado River in early May on a snowy day, so my mind had a point of reference. I went for a run immediately before the plunge to get myself as ready for refreshment as I could be on the last day of winter. None of that mattered when my head came back up after we all jumped in. It was group chaos. Deep breaths were impossible. Everyone was splashing, fighting for the ladder. Come to think of it, Allison was not clamoring for the ladder, she just yanked herself onto the slippery dock like a jumping fish. And Nick was the Zen Floridian, just treading water, watching the rest of us freak out. The feeling was exhilarating and fleeting. As soon as we got out of the water and toweled off, I began to sweat a bit, feeling the effects of the run beforehand. I'm not sure if it is something that I will do again, but maybe I'll never miss another opportunity. But, either way, I can cross it off my list.