{"id":6250,"date":"2020-01-25T04:05:21","date_gmt":"2020-01-25T04:05:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.reggiemorrisey.com\/?p=6250"},"modified":"2020-01-25T04:36:29","modified_gmt":"2020-01-25T04:36:29","slug":"singapore-and-serendipity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.reggiemorrisey.com\/?p=6250","title":{"rendered":"Singapore and Serendipity"},"content":{"rendered":"

The screensaver that popped up on my workplace computer each morning from 2010 to 2014 was an image of the Marina Bay Sands, a world-class hotel in Singapore. Each workday, I saw the 56-story hotel\u2019s three towers lift its infinity pool into the sky - like three brawny pals hoisting a longboat overhead.<\/p>\n

As an ardent swimmer, I\u2019d picture myself stepping into the pool, tightening my googles over my eyes and setting off across the sky pool\u2019s 150 meters. With a downward-facing, freestyle stroke, I\u2019d turn my head to the right with every other breath to glimpse city skyscrapers and bay and, with a backstroke on my return, I\u2019d be one with the sky. I have practice in the latter since swimming the first of thousands of laps in the pools of sunny St. Petersburg, Florida.<\/p>\n

Until I retired from a career as a writer in a corporation, I logged on to peer at that mesmerizing screensaver.<\/p>\n

Although my husband, artist Vincent Mancuso<\/a>, and I are globe trotters, serendipity must intervene if I am to stick my painted toes into the pool. The hotel\u2019s $437 per night best rate is daunting and would represent an historic stretch for our travel budget. And, there's the matter of getting to and from Singapore.<\/p>\n

Still, should the universe conspire for our good, we could justify a one-night stand on the basis of a decade-old desire. We have noticed merry happenstance often materializes to drop us off on distant shores.<\/p>\n

And, if my bold toes never find their way into that pool, I may console myself that the swim occurred in my mind\u2019s eye every day in a Florida office cubicle because I had happened upon that enchanting image.<\/p>\n

       *  *  *<\/p>\n

View a brief video of the sky pool at the Marina Bay Sands<\/a><\/p>\n

Corroborating evidence:<\/p>\n

A Passion
\nby Reggie Morrisey (circa 2010)<\/strong><\/h4>\n

I swim beneath
\nthe setting moon,
\nlap by lap,
\nput in the yards.
\nDespite what err
\na day will bring,
\na client's groan?
\na boss' bark?<\/p>\n

I swim beneath
\nthe rising stars.
\nThe day is gone,
\nthe office left.
\nWhat's done is done.
\nIt's made its mark.
\nI shake off
\nshivers of regret.<\/p>\n

And here beneath
\nthe mid-day sun,
\nI close my eyes.
\nI shield my skin.
\nMy mind is calm.
\nMy heart beats strong.
\nAs long as I may
\nhave my swim.<\/p>\n

       *  *  *<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

\"\"<\/a>

Painted Toes at Rest<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The screensaver that popped up on my workplace computer each morning from 2010 to 2014 was an image of the Marina Bay Sands, a world-class hotel in Singapore. Each workday, I saw the 56-story hotel\u2019s three towers lift its infinity pool into the sky – like three brawny pals hoisting a longboat overhead. As an […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6250","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reggiemorrisey.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6250","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reggiemorrisey.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reggiemorrisey.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reggiemorrisey.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reggiemorrisey.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6250"}],"version-history":[{"count":27,"href":"https:\/\/www.reggiemorrisey.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6250\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6286,"href":"https:\/\/www.reggiemorrisey.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6250\/revisions\/6286"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reggiemorrisey.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6250"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reggiemorrisey.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6250"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reggiemorrisey.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6250"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}