Swimming To Save Myself.

So when people ask me "Treasure can you swim?" , I always laugh small before answering, because my own swimming journey is somehow, so I actually learnt how to swim around age 12 or 13 years old, I can’t even remember the exact age again, but I know it was after I finished my junior WAEC and I travelled to Port Harcourt for the long holiday, yeah.. that trip did changed my life in many ways, but one of the biggest things I carried from it was swimming.

So I had gone to stay with a family friend who I always call “my aunt,” and her husband happened to be one of those people that just believe everybody must know how to survive inside water, One day, we all went to University of Port Harcourt sports centre, and that is where their swimming pool was, the man just looked at me and said, treasure come, today you will learn how to swim.

Me? I didn’t know whether to run or laugh, but I entered the pool anyway, see at first, I was struggling like someone fighting for their life, I was splashing water everywhere, breathing like I was climbing a mountain, and grabbing the edge like that was my lifeline, But sha, he was patient, he held me, taught me how to move my arms, how to kick properly, how to float, all those small small basics that look easy from outside the water but inside ehn — different story.

With time, I got better, and by the time the holiday ended, I wasn’t perfect, but I could at least hold my own without drowning, and as the years went by, anytime I hung out with friends and we ended up somewhere that had a pool, I would swim small here and there, that helped me improve a lot.

But here is the truth , I haven’t been in a pool for a while, I think the last time I properly swam was maybe early this year, So if you now put me in very deep water and say I should survive for a long time, omo, let me not lie, I don’t know if I will come out alive o, My mind will tell me yes, but my body might just say something different.

Swimming is something that needs practice, like serious one, If you don’t do it often, your body forgets small small things, maybe I can last up to an hour if I am calm and the water is not too stressful, but that is only if my limbs don’t start paining me, because once the hand and leg start shaking, that is the end, I wil just be in the water thinking, “God, abeg oo, I take God beg You.” imagine using God to Beg God . Lol.. that kind thing.

But if the place I am swimming to is not too far, then I’m good, I won’t even panic, I can swim my way to safety, no problem , I will just pace myself, take my time, and get out of the water like nothing happened, It is only when the distance is far or the water is too deep that my mind will start calculating my life decisions.

Sometimes I think about going back to swimming again, like properly, maybe take a day and just go to a pool, practice small, regain the confidence, but life happens and before I know it, months have passed, Still, swimming is one skill I’m grateful I learnt early, even if I might not survive inside Atlantic Ocean, at least a normal pool or river won’t finish me.

So yes ..... I can swim, Will I survive? It depends on the situation, If the distance is close, I am your girl, and If it’s longdistance marathon inside water? Hmm… I might need Jesus, angels, and maybe one lifeguard on standby.

But at least, I sabi swim small, and that’s better than nothing.

_{Image Is Mine}