University of Tennessee Athletics
Lady Vol Swimming & Diving Diaries - Abbie Alton
October 13, 2008 | Women's Swimming & Diving
Oct. 13, 2008
Time is a complicated concept. As a swimmer, constantly looking at a clock, I've become dependent on time. Everyone knows the clock doesn't lie. No matter how long today has felt, it is still only 24 short hours.
We are always looking forward to something or counting down the hours until a certain event. However, saying "I can't wait 'til I'm..." or "It's taking forever for..." isn't going to speed up time. Looking back on my senior year of high school, I wasted so much time waiting to leave for college! Now that I'm here, time doesn't seem to move slow enough! I don't know why or when it happened, but I have finally begun living in the moment. I am taking full advantage of every second I have here, and I couldn't be more pleased with my results. I have ultimately discovered the true meaning of carpe diem.
Being a Lady Volunteer has taught me trust and patience. If we are assigned a certain set to do, it doesn't matter if I understand how or why it will help me, I do it. No questions asked. I had to learn to trust that it will better my swimming career. Also, I couldn't assume that on the first day of practice 26 girls would automatically get along. I had to be patient, along with my teammates, as we got to know each other. And it's only October! This is only the beginning of a long journey and I look forward to each and every day.
