Swim Meets & Nostalgia or Swim Meets Nostalgia?

On 06/21, my son competed in his 1st ever swim meet!  He participated in the 6 and under age group and completed the 25 yard freestyle and the 25 yard backstroke.  He completed his second meet this last Saturday (07/13).  I brings a tear to my eye to see him starting to enjoy being part of the swimming community and doing well at it.  Seeing him swim brought back a flood of memories, emotions, and feelings that completely overwhelmed me.  When he brought home is first ribbons, it reminded me that I still have, get this, EVERY SINGLE ribbon/medal that I ever won!!!!  They have been packaged neatly in plastic bags, with various other trophies, in a box in our garage.  I wanted to get them out to see what my first times were in the same events.  Ironically, my first two events ever were the same as his.  I was hoping to compare them, but then realized that I didn't start competing until I was 8.  I did show them to him and told him that he now has a time goal to set his sights on when he turns 8.  

• My first ever freestyle = 06/13/1981 (25 yards in 18.60) = 2nd place
• My first ever backstroke = 06/13/1981 (25 yards in 21.61) = 1st place

At any rate, I went through each one (they are all in chronological order) and found my fastest times in each event.  What surprised me the most is that I actually had breaststroke ribbons and, for the life of me, can't recall ever swimming that stroke!  I considered myself a backstroke, butterfly, and freestyle only guy (and in that order).  In any medley relay, I pretty much always did the backstroke or butterfly (or at least that's how I remember it!).  I can remember actually taking private lessons for breaststroke even in my advanced years because my coach, and grandmother, wanted me to be an IMer (Individual Medley).  I can't remember that ever amounting to much.  OK, OK, back to why I pulled out my fastest times....I wanted to compare them to my most recent PRs:

• My fastest age group butterfly = 06/13/1989 (50 yards in 25.74)
• My current PR = 04/05/2013 (50 yards in 25.54)

• My fastest age group backstroke = 07/11/1991 (50 yards in 27.10)
• My current "PR" = 04/05/2013 (50 yards in 27.62)

• My fastest age group breaststroke = 06/13/1991 (50 yards in 32.34)
• Haven't competed in this event

• My fastest age group freestyle = 07/02/1991 (50 yards in 23.36)
• My current "PR" = 05/09/2013 (50 yards in 23.62)

Aside from the revelation that I actually competed in breaststroke, the other surprising thing that stands out to me is that my butterfly PR occured when I was just 16!  All of the other fastest times were right after I graduated high school and had one summer of age group eligibility left.  That doesn't seem right.  Maybe I missed a ribbon somewhere, so maybe I'll go back and recheck.  If I do, I'll make the necessary changes to this post.  Until then, however, this is how I'll leave it.

My two very first ribbons are on the left.  The ones on the right are for my fastest times (above) as an age grouper: