Thank Goodness for the Vashon Athletic Club
And all indoor swimming pools and bathhouses around the world!
Tuesday, January 9th, 2024
It’s been over a month since I’ve been able to enjoy the Vashon Athletic Club’s indoor pool. Which sucks, and it isn’t my fault.
In early December, an annual visit to my dermatologist revealed an abnormal mole on the back side of my left thigh, exactly where I never, ever look.
Note: Four or five months ago I got scratched by a blackberry and when I leaned around to check the scratch in the shower, there was the mole. Small and very much too black. Even though alarm bells went off inside my head, I just thought, “Well, I must make sure to point this out when I go in for my annual.”
Yeah. Next time, I’ll call up right away. Word to the wise, folks!
But, I digress.
My Mom was a self-professed water baby, and so was I when I was younger. You couldn’t get me out of the pool, the river, the ocean, or the tub! Then, I had kids and for a few years there, my Mom and I were always taking them swimming. But, teenagers have different interests, and I stopped swimming as I found it hard to justify taking time for myself. But, my Mom never stopped swimming. Then, last winter, when my Mom came home to die, we started swimming together again. Being in the pool helped her relax, and relaxing reduced her pain. So, we went every day.
Then, she passed, and my life became wildly challenging and busy and overwhelming and I cancelled my membership. Until — for my birthday — I decided to treat myself to a day at the Olympus Women’s Health Spa in Tacoma.
It was wonderful. I’d been struggling with a knee injury all summer, and a day to myself, immersed for hours in warm or hot or cold water, moving and resting and being alone with my thoughts…was beyond rejuvenating.
That’s when it hit me.
I’ve always hesitated to “join a gym” because our culture turns the gym into another job. It’s our protestant background, I think, and it’s not healthy. How many more people would “go to the gym” (especially during the winter) if they felt like it was fun and relaxing? Instead, it’s this thing you should do, it’s all about the “work out,” and if you don’t go, who needs more guilt on top of an already challenging life?
As I drove home, wishing I could afford to visit the Women’s Spa in Tacoma more often, inspiration struck! “The Vashon Athletic Club has a hot tub, a cold plunge, a comfortable indoor swimming pool, and a dry sauna. It’s basically a SPA!”
From that day forth, I decided to view it that way.
I don’t go to the gym. I go to the spa!
What a difference! Suddenly, I was going to “the spa” at least five times a week, and while I was there, I enjoyed the same feelings of rest and relaxation I enjoyed at the Women’s Olympus Health Spa (for pennies on the dollar, I might add). I also, eventually, made it into the pool and began to swim laps, and when you’re swimming almost every day, you start to improve.
Stamina. Cardiovascular. Flexibility. Technique. Speed. Number of laps increased.
I was feeling great — right up until my dermatologist had to slice an abnormal mole off my leg. Thankfully, it only took three weeks to heal, but then the pool was shut down for its annual deep clean. And so, today — a few days past the one month mark since my unexpected surgical procedure, I returned to “the Spa,” soaked in the hot tub, swam some laps, took a long, hot shower, relaxedly rubbed lotion into my feet and hands, and headed home to do my Korean Face Routine before sitting down to write this stack.
Am I feeling grateful to live in the modern world, where such things are possible?
Yes. And no.
Depending on where we grew up and what cultural history is most familiar to us, our view of “humans in water” differs dramatically. If, like me, you grew up with a Euro-Centric viewpoint, then you are steeped in the idea that “back in the day” people were not bathing. Supposedly, the French loved perfume because it covered up their intense body odor, the British and British Colonists believed you would die if you took a bath in the winter, and Laura Ingalls’ family (a pioneering story) was lucky to bathe once a week.
But, was bathing in the past truly so, um….medieval? Apparently not!
According to this article by Medievalists.net: “Personal hygiene did exist in the Middle Ages – people were well aware that cleaning their face and hands was a good idea – health manuals from the period note that it was important to get rid of dirt and grime.”
Check out the abov link - it’s quite fascinating and may blow your assumptions (as it did mine) out of the water (no pun intended).
Hot Springs Unite!
Throughout Eastern Europe, there are many popular natural hot springs, and the ancient architecture and habits of cleanliness modeled by the Roman Baths reached as far and wide as Bath (England), Hungary, and Turkey (if not further). In Iceland (grounded in Nordic traditions), huge, hot and warm, steamy communal pools are utterly normal and cheap, making daily bathing readily available to all. Oh, and this next image?
This is Croatia.
Then, we come to Asia.
Sentō is a type of Japanese communal bathhouse.
Traditionally these bathhouses have been quite utilitarian, with a tall barrier separating the sexes within one large room, a minimum of lined-up faucets on both sides, and a single large bath for the already washed bathers to sit in among others.
And who could forget Korea? Korean Bathhouses — given how COLD it gets in Korea — make sense.
The local 찜질방 (Jjimjilbang) are more than just a place to bathe and relax – they’re a vital and important part of Korean society.
According to Namhan South Korea, “they serve as a gathering place for friends and family, a spot for solo travelers to meet new people, and even a temporary home for those in need. Some jjimjilbangs offer job-seeking services or provide shelter for homeless individuals during extreme weather conditions.”
Don’t You Wish You Had One of These Down the Street?
In the past, (even into the 1980s) many Korean homes didn’t have their own bathrooms, so people would use public baths or hot springs as a place to clean themselves. Over time, public baths became a social hub where people gathered to relax and chat with friends. Jjimjilbangs (찜질방) also offer a range of facilities including hot and cold pools, saunas, steam rooms, and massage services. They’re open 24/7 and are affordable for everyone. Some jjimjilbangs (찜질빙) also have sleeping rooms where patrons can spend the night, and King the Land (a K-Drama) has a hilarious Korean Bathhouse scene!
And so…like people all over the world…I am grateful for my local bathhouse.
The Vashon Athletic Club!
I know it was hard for the owners to stay afloat (again, no pun intended) during the intense governmental interventions of the Covid Experience. But, they did it, and I’m just one of many hundreds (maybe thousands?) of islanders who appreciate them every day.