Mundane Musings

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 284, 21 February 1928, Page 4

Mundane Musings

Why Do You Bathe? Toward eleven o’clock on any beach half the inhabitants of the beach disappear into sheds and houses, and emerge in bathing costumes. Some of the prospective bathers look happy, but many of them do not. That palecheeked girl, for instance, who hugs herself and stares pessimistically at | the waves; that over-eager fellow, i whose enthusiasm is obviously false; that elderly man, bearded and bony, who speeds like a flash of white anti \ blue lightning into the water, and then speeds even more speedily back again; that woman who gasps that she simply cannot go under, my dear, and implores you not to splash; and ; that child who frankly howls. Why do these dubious individuals

adventure into the sea, for which they so obviously were not intended? WHY THEY GO IN

Probably their reasons are varied The pale-cheeked girl may go in be-

cause everybody else goes in, and one must do what other people do, mustn't

one? The over-eager fellow may go in because his whole effort in life is to conceal from the world the funk he secretly is. The elderly man, bearded and bony, may go in because once he has worked out a theory he accepts it and acts by it, and he has worked out that sea water is salubrious, unless it is taken internally. The gasping woman may go in because, although she knows she did not like it last time, she always believes she may like it the next time, and from the security of your clothes the sea can look so inviting. And the howling child goes in because it is made to go in.

No other reason could possibly work the miracle in the child’s case. Its parents, having heard that African natives throw their babies into ponls to teach them to swim, apply the rule in modified form to their own progeny. But whereas the African parents make no pretence to consult the babies’ wishes, the more civilised parents continually impress upon their victims that they are only acting for the victim’s good, and that the water is very jolly and nice. Lately through some happy miracle I have myself learned to derive great enjoyment from the sea, and on a very sunny morning I can even dip into iz before breakfast without being driven out of bed by any third party. I can recall, however —somewhat to my shame —many former occasions when I used to bathe for either the first or the second of the reasons enumerated above—when I bathed, in short, not because I wanted to bathe, but because I wanted to be able to say I bathed. And I said it, quite often, with chattering teeth, and a cold blue pallor on my cheeks.

STAND UP FOR YOURSELF Maybe you who read these lines are among the genuine enthusiasts, in which case I congratulate you, and wish you much joy this month. But if you are not, inquire into your secret motives, and should they not be sound, stand up for yourself. Say boldly the next time bathing is mooted: “I am not going in to-day.” And when somebody exclaims: “What? — not going in? Why ever not —just look at the water!” just answer, unflustered: ‘“Because I don’t want to; ± dont like bathing—l never did Pke bathing. I don’t believe you like bathing; and -when I tell you I am not going to bathe to-day, what I really mean is that I doubt whether I shall ever bathe again.”

Throughout our lives we are constantly doing things just because other people do them. We wear certain styles of clothes because other people wear those styles, not necessarily because they suit us. We learn to drive motors because other people are learning to drive motors, not be•cause we necessarily want to drive motors. We read certain books because other people read those books; and we would dance the elephant kick if enough people gave us the lead. Independence, even on a holiday, is not anti-social. If you don’t like battling, don’t bathe. You may be a crack at lawn tennis!

AN ENGAGEMENT

Tl%e engagement is announced of Jean, youngest daughter of Mrs. and the late Mr. J. W. Butler, of Mount Eden, to David, only son of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Sumner, of Mount Albert.

TENNIS PARTY FOR MISS NELL BLAIR

Miss Betty Jackson, of Remuera Road, gave a delightful tennis party yesterday afternoon in honour of Miss Nell Blair, the daughter of Mr. Justice Blair, who has come to live in Auckland. Among Miss Jackson’s guests were: —The Misses Audrey Bayly, Leslie Waller, Jean Lawford, Mabel Jackson, Jean Macindoe, Molly Horsley, Micky Ferguson, Val Jackson, Margery Stewart, Janet Clarkson, Honey aJckson, Margery Vaile, Sadie Mitchelson. Nancy Colbeck and Nancy Noakes.

TENNIS PARTY

Mrs. R. Roberts gave an enjoyable tennis party yesterday afternoon at her home in Remuera, in honour of Miss R. Wheeler, whose wedding takes j place early next month. A dainty tea was served during the afternoon. Mrs. Roberts’s guests included Miss R. Wheeler, Miss B. Wheeler. Mrs. P. Smith, Mrs. H. Jackson, Mrs. L. Philpott. Misses Murray (2), Miss N. i Wright, Miss B. Carr, and Miss Rut- \ ledge.

COMING-OF-AGE PARTY

On Friday evening a large number ! of folk met at the Te Rahu Public j Hall to join in celebrating the twenty- j first birthday of Miss Violet ♦’lay, eld- J est daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Flay, j “Oaklands,” Te Awamutu. The birthday ! cake, which was in two tiers, was pret- 1 tily decorated with pink roses, a horseshoe being suspended above and a latchkey of ample dimensions being secured to the side of the cake. Mr. H. Phillips proposed the toast of the evening, and Miss Flay’s health was j honoured to the strains of “For She’s j a Jolly Good Fellow.” AJter supper dancing was resumed, extras being contributed by Miss i Thompson and Messrs. E. Holmes, A. Fowler and R. Langraan. Mr. L. Young acted as M.C., assisted by Messrs. R. Weal, A. Bowler and S. Thompson. Miss Flay was the reciof many attractive presents, which were displayed in the dance room.