Swimming

[HY]

I hear you've been doing a lot of swimming for exercise. Do you stick to one favorite stroke? Or do you use a variety of strokes in your laps?

I hope you get a chance to stop and visit with your family as you drive from Ohio to Iowa next week.

Hugs,
Lyn

[martinxavier]

Lyn,

I have been swimming every chance I get. It is as much for exercise as it is a simple tool to easy my brain. Every day is just a bit better when you get the chance to go swimming.

With this consistent touring, you start to get physically, mentally and emotionally drained. You give alot on stage but the incessant driving and sleeping on the bus with not a single day off makes you start to lose your mind. I have been trying to fight this by keeping quiet and on my own. I know that emotionally I get twisted up and I have a hard time releasing all that tension. Being quite keeps the drama a bit more to a minimum. Going swimming really releases alot of the tension. I don't know why but it feels like it relaxes all of the physical organs that are bouncing around on the ride all day/ all night. I mentally think of swimming as my quick fix. It's probably just a placebo but it's all I got at the moment.

I have never been in a scenario like this with constant movement, demands of protecting your voice, hanging out with fans, jumbled sleep on a bus with 12 people, sporadic eating, consistent drama and then delivering an hour show with any energy you got left. I know, I know, I'm complaining. I ain't got no pool today so I go swimming thru my brain. Just trying to keep you in tune with what I got going on.

I feel like I have gotten myself into quasi-combat training. "Let's see how fast I can spin myself in a blender and then observe my mental, physical and emotional health as I twist and turn".

The meet-n-greets with fans are these super involved "Question & Answer" sessions that I think are making me even loonier. Example 1: Emotional Questions: "Marty, on a scale of 1 to 10, how do you rate your happiness?" Example 2: Career Questions: Where are you going to be in 5 years, with the Hammers or the Guns? Example 3: Physical Questions: I can see your ribs, WHat kind of diet have you had on the road. Example 4: Inappropriate Questions: You're all sweaty, Can I have your underwear.... DISGUSTING! I wonder if other singers get these deeply involved interview type questioning. It's seems that the music plays a role in the meet and greet but the other meet and greet fascination is people trying to figure out where I am at mentally. "WHAT's GOING ON IN HIS MIND!!!!!!!" I wish I knew. I'll know sometime soon. I also take the responsibility for this. I let ya in my brain in the first place with the blogging and answering questions and such and it seems to have taken on a life of its own. Just please do not get completely bent out of line if my answers to personal questions take on sometimes fun, sometimes smartass, sometimes dark, sometimes funny and sometimes nonsensical. Just trying to be as honest as possible when I can.

It's really has felt like a crazy experiment. I have been keeping a journal. I'm learning so much. What I am good at and what I am absolutely terrible at. I wish I had more answers...

I must be going insane if a question about swimming ended with answers. Aye Yay Yay!

Marty