When Water Teaches You About Yourself

Coming across this prompt gave me two thoughts about whether I should skip or not, but you know what, a man will only die once, which has brought about this public confession that I cannot swim, and in fact, going inside water scares me a lot, even though I have tried swimming once, but that was a very long time ago. I hate to admit that, but that is just what it is.

Swimming has become a favorite sport for some people, like some of my friends who love to swim, and maybe the reason why I cannot swim is that I grew up in an environment where going to swim is not one and part of our favorite thing. In fact, I have turned down the "Dave let's go for a swim this coming weekend" a lot of times because I do not want to embarrass myself by just splashing water or her drowning. God forbid. Where I grew up, our favorite activities used to be playing football until we were tired or got injured doing Daddy and Mummy, who is in the garden, but you see that swimming, nothing like that, and that was also for some people, but they trained themselves to swim. Maybe one day, I will also have that courage because water scares me a lot.

Like I said, the first time I went to swim was a long time ago, and it was all these big pools that usually have deep levels. Upon getting into the swimming pool for the very first time, my legs touched the floor of the pool, but unbeknownst to me, I did not know that it was deep if I moved forward, even though I saw a rope that divided the pool, but I did not know that it was a deep sign. After I passed that rope, I discovered that my legs shifted away from the normal floor, but thank God for one of my friends that noticed and pulled me back; maybe it would have been another story by now, and that added to my swimming fear.

And now that I am grown, anytime I am watching all these movies that involve water, I usually think in my head, what if I found myself in a big river? What would happen to me? Sincerely, I cannot say. And that answer alone always triggers the fear more.

And one thing I have also realized is that maybe swimming is not as hard as I imagine if I give it more trial and put my mind to it because a baby starts to walk after crawling, people tend to get their voice more heard after being shut up several times, and we tend to give some things more time after disappointment.

But, at the moment, I guess lack of motivation is what has been hindering me. Or maybe lack of interest because I hardly pay attention to things that do not interest me. Or maybe that experience I felt for the very first time or bad stories I usually hear about people drowning. I cannot really say. But I know that all these things can never leave me if I do not give it a try with care, caution, and attention.

But one day, I hope to try again with no fear in my mind, no pressure, and no shame of not minding to splash water anyhow. But until then, I will keep watching from afar until when I am brave enough to become the next Micheal Phelps.

Thank you for reading.

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