Chicken Bird Soldier

Lately I've been enjoying swimming again. I go to a local middle school and do laps. I'm much stronger than I was last year. I'm able to swim laps for the entire 55 minute session. I can do my modified dog paddle/crawl stroke and the side stroke and the back stroke. I had four years of swimming lessons at Lake Owasso during my formative years. I never graduated past advanced beginner because I could not overcome my fear of diving. But I did learn how to swim. My favorite is the back stroke. You lie on your back and while your legs do the frog kick, your arms go in the chicken, bird, soldier formation. The chicken is where you put your hands in your armpits. You follow that with the bird formation where your arms are straight out from the shoulder. You end with a forceful pulling down of the arms so they're at your sides like a soldier. When I do this stroke I feel like I'm flying upside down. I am buoyant in the water and able to move in a carefree, arthritic free manner. I can really get into it. I'm no Dana Torres but I try to make each stroke perfectly and forcefully. I got into the movement so much that one time I (BOINK!) hit my head against the edge of the pool. And just like a fish says when it hits a brick wall in the water, I said, "Dam!"