Aufgeber (Quitter)

I just handed in the boys' resignation letters from their swimming classes. Letters! I had to write letters letting the swim club they belong to know that they were quitting. Something about writing it down makes me feel like a quitter, and I hate quitting.

In Chicago, I would register the kids for classes for 10 or 12 weeks at a time. At the end of this period, we would decide whether to re-register, or not. It didn't feel like quitting, because we were simply not returning.

Here, most sport programs are run by sport clubs, so one has to join to participate. The clubs usually allow potential new members to take one or more classes for free before making the commitment. (Some programs let you pay as you go, as with my yoga and horseback riding classes--more on this in a future blog.) After joining, dues are paid through a Lastschrift, which means I give the club my bank info and they pull the money out monthly or quarterly. But in order to terminate the Lastschrift, one has to do it in writing, hence the resignation letters.

Note: Our rent and bills are also paid through Lastschriften. In these cases, I love it, because I hated writing out checks.

As for the boys, they're happy to be done with swimming. Philip's next step would have been competitive swimming, but he's not interested in competing. And Alex just wants a break. I'm the only one that feels like a quitter.