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LauraRae2
LauraRae2 Posts: 107 Member
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Every year I make my high school students do a totally kindergarten assignment called "Me In A Bag." I give them a paperwork and they have to put 5 items in it that represent things that are important to them or tell us about things they like, then bring it to class and share. Basically, the whole assignment is show and tell and the kids love it (especially since I acknowledge that it's a kindergarten assignment - no, seriously, one of my juniors showed me that her little sister, a first grader, got the same assignment on the first day of school!)

Anyway, when I assign it, I share my own with them as an example. I grabbed an old pair of goggles that I don't like but still have and threw it in the bag to represent my love for swimming. I happened to mention that I hate that particular pair of goggles and one of my students asked "then why do you still have them?"

I was kind of dumbfounded. Why indeed? For the same reason I still have the swim suit that I don't love and a spare swim cap that I don't like. I looked at one of my other students, who is a competitive swimmer, and said "Because that's just how we are, I guess..." she shrugged and said "yeah...I have 5 pair of goggles but I only wear 1."

Just curious if we're the only weirdos or if you all have swim gear that you don't love but hang onto "just in case."

Replies

  • mpeters1965
    mpeters1965 Posts: 370 Member
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    Sounds like a fun project! I have a pair of goggles that I don't love that I keep as a spare, a spare cap and two different sets of paddles I tried out but seldom use because I really don't love swimming with paddles. That's it though. I'm pretty ruthless about getting rid of things I don't use. I'm kind of the opposite of a pack rat, to tell the truth.
  • gentlygently
    gentlygently Posts: 752 Member
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    Kindergarten? High School? I 'bve done that Excercise with grown adults for team building (just one item mind)! I ended up (having forgotten to put anything in..) talking about Moshi Monster cards....I mean, how important my daughter was to me! My colleague talked about her actual handbag. Someone else waffled something about a pencil from the bottom of her bag. We were all inventive - even if all equally useless as remembering the excercise was coming!

    Yep the laundry cupboard full of old costumes etc. Who knows when I'll leave the current one at the pool and an emergency might arise?! I do the same with my oboe and reeds too....
  • rosebarnalice
    rosebarnalice Posts: 3,488 Member
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    I am so doing this assignment with my next college class!!

    I have this thing about throwing away swimsuits. I can ditch goggles I don't like or caps that don't fit well, but suits . . .

    They practically have to dry - rot off of me before I will throw them away. I have even been know to wear two suits at the same time--with lycra failure in different spots--to get just one more swim out of 'em.

    I know. I need an intervention.
  • NoelFigart1
    NoelFigart1 Posts: 1,276 Member
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    *chuckles* I just went through every possession I own according to the that book by Marie Kondo (The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up) and tossed everything that did not bring me joy.

    I have some swim caps that I HATE in terms of actually using them. (They're latex, and with my big ole mane, I need a good Lycra swim cap). But they bring me joy because I got them in swims that are important to me. According to Ms. Kondo's method, that means I'm SUPPOSED to keep them.
  • LauraRae2
    LauraRae2 Posts: 107 Member
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    Noel, I love the Kondo book! We've been weeding out based on the joy method too. I have so many pair of goggles that I don't know why I can't get rid of these. Wait, yes I do. They were the first pair I got when I got back into swimming. Damn sentiment!

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