Esther Williams, my favorite actress, died this week (June 6, 2013) at the age of 91. She was born on August 8, 1921 to Louis Stanton Williams and Bula Myrtle Gilpin Williams in Utah. She was their fifth and youngest child. Her acting ability included swimming, which I fell in love with at the young age of 6. I had started taking swimming lessons that summer and saw one of her movies. I was smitten. I couldn't believe how someone could do all of those things in the water. It was like a ballet. Since I lived close to the Desota Theater in Rome, Georgia, I would walk to see every movie that starred her when it was in town. I even watched it twice when I could talk the usher into letting me stay longer. They even showed them at the drive-ins and I could talk my daddy into taking me again. I tried to copy everything that she did in the water. She made it look so easy, but I found out that it was harder that I ever thought. You have to practice and I mean alot of practice. I started doing extra chores around the house and even went throughout the neighborhood collecting Coca Cola bottles to return for deposit just so I would have enough money to go swimming everyday in the summer. My favorite pool was in Celanese. You could pay one price and swim for a long time. But I would have to have bus fare. The city pool costs a quarter and was open from 2-5 and from 7-9 at night. I could walk to this pool. It was about 6 blocks from my house. It wasn't as big as Celanese but it still had two diving boards.  The day I was brave enough to climb the high dive, I thought I had accomplished my goal. Boy, was I fooled. I was so scared that I climbed back down the latter and stayed away from that board for two years.

     When I got older, my swimming techniques improved but only for my benefit. I would watch other people swim and it would be choppy and they would slap the water. I didn't think this was swimming. It should be smooth and you just glide through the water like a fish. This is how I taught my children.
     I still watch Esther's movies when they are on T.V. They still take my breath away because of her style. Dancing in the water is the most beautiful thing on earth.
Esther was a National AAU champion in the 100 meter freestyle. She won 3 US National championships for breaststroke and freestyle. She learned the butterfly stroke which was considered for "male" only swimmers. She broke many records with this stroke. She had plans to enter the 1940 Summer Olympics but it was cancelled due to the outbreak of World War II.