ymbolic of the fact that he used to have many options to choose from in life, but as the years progressed, these options became less and less. Now, as an older man, there are certain things which he cannot do anymore, and he is only left with two tracks. Along with this example, his son also plays a large part in his realization of his own mortality. At the end of his essay, White recalls watching his son go swimming in the lake by saying, "I watched him, his hard little body, skinny and bare, saw him wince slightly as he pulled up around his vitals the small, soggy, icy garment. As he buckled the swollen belt suddenly my groin felt the icy chill of death." White is once again identifying with his son. At this point, he feels so at one with his son that he can actually feel what he is feeling. However, he is experiencing it in a different way. His son is merely feeling a chilly sensation in his groin, but he is feeling an icy reminder that he will not live forever. His days of going swimming in the lake are gone, and his sons are just beginning. ...
