Swimming Diary - Water, my love .....

I was only 8 years. I didn’t want to swim. I hated that swimming pool. The long black lines in its floor resembled a big black snake ready to gobble me as soon as I was entering into the water. The water was green in color and it had a smell of bleaching powder. When I was dipped into the water, my eyes were just becoming red and it was burning. That activity of forcefully making me swim in a dirty green colored water, without my consent was termed as “learn to swim”.

Once they taught me how to float, and then started the menace. They wanted me to move my hand and legs simultaneously in different sequence when I was floating and for each and every sequence of my movements, they called it as “free style”, “back stroke”, “breast stroke” and “butterfly”. I hated that “butterfly” stroke because, as soon as I heard that there was a stroke by that name, I thought that I could take off from water and fly like a butterfly. But because of my innocence at that age, I was really disappointed and gradually I ceased from practicing that stroke frequently.

After these strokes were taught, I was bit elated because, I knew how to swim and I was also so confident that if I were thrown into water I can swim. I challenged my friends and I was proudly holding my head up and told everyone, including my coach and seniors that I knew how to swim. All these big-mouthed words were coming out of my mouth, when I was just 10 years old.

Once my coach heard these, he challenged me and I gave him my word that if I were thrown into water of any depth I can swim. At first I was standing near 10 foot depth portion of the swimming pool and I was chatting with my friend. Suddenly, I was pushed into water. I was taken by surprise. I went 3 foot inside the water and even drank some water. Then I came to senses and I came to know that I am running out of oxygen. Gradually I came up by pushing the water by my legs in a frog’s style and came up to see the coach. He was laughing and I climbed the steps in the swimming pool, came out and went to him and told, “Nice try”. He told that it was a messy way, but good show for your age.

After a week, he told me to try the diving board. I clearly told him that I am afraid of height. He replied saying that, “perhaps, you have forgotten the word given to me. If you were to be thrown in water, you can swim and now am going to throw you from the driving board.” He lifted me and carried me on his shoulders and went to the top of the diving board and I was crying. He then let me down on the top of the board saying that don’t force me to push. I replied wiping of my tears, “I’d rather push you instead of jumping” and the next moment I was set flying in the air.

First time diving into the water from 30 meters height. I could get a whole glimpse of the swimming pool. As I was going down the breeze kissed my skin and I could feel the chill. My wet hair was fluttering and the sun was setting along with me. The water splashed, and I entered the water like a spear head and because of the height from which I was “thrown in”, I had to go down inside the water and I had to turn my whole body up to come up. I came up swimming in “freestyle” and I could see the rays of sun at the twilight hours, inside the water and view of the silhouette inside the water was amazingly beautiful.

I came up and my coach came down from the diving board and stared at me. After few seconds both of us laughed together. Then he went to teach the other children. After few minutes, I went to him and shyly asked him, “Can I do that again”. The reply came instantly, “my lad, the diving area is yours and hereafter there shouldn’t be any tears or fears when it comes to swimming”. I nodded my head and ran towards the diving board, shedding both of them.