On Being a Mammal

The majority of the morning swimmers at my local Y are elderly or in poor physical health. As a result, they are big fans of the indoor pool being over 82-degrees, essentially they want it be the same temperature as bath water. Since I swim laps in the pool, I don't share their desire to feel like an ingredient in a stew pot for an hour every morning. The pool being cooler has multiple benefits: it reduces the swelling in my feet, keeps me from losing too much fluid from sweating while I swim, keeps me awake and moving, and keeps other people out of the pool so that I get my own lane.

Over the past couple of weeks the Y has been having trouble regulating the pool temperature, which has been between 79/80 and a topic of many complaints. This morning it dropped to 72. When I went out to swim the only other person there was the life guard.

She admonished me that it was VERY cold. I stuck a foot in, which felt fine. I decided to walk in, just in case the temperature was a shock to me, and that felt fine too. The life guard walked up to me and said, "you really shouldn't get in there. You know your body temperature could drop and make the babies cold." I reminded her that as a mammal my body temperature self-regulates to stay at 98.6. She pressed the issue worrying, "well have you heard of hypothermia? People die from that all the time." I promised her that no one has ever died from hypothermia after being exposed to 72 degree temperatures. She remained very worried the entire time I swam. I felt bad because she is really nice even if she does worry that I am a reptile.