May 21, 2009

Exploring the unknown

Dark and dense clouds looming large, waiting to open and pour down. Cold winds from the distant shores rocking the tiny catamaran. I open my sleepy eyes, hoping for a cup of tea. Little did I realize, I'm stuck in the middle of a huge ocean, with water all around and land no where to be seen. The sea is rough and stormy weather is irking to topple my boat. The huge waves seem to provide the needed support to the storm. I hold onto the piece of wood, with as much grip as I could. The freezing water makes my hands go numb. The hope slowly fades away, yet the piece of shattered wood is the only support I have right now. There is no point in shouting for help. A silent prayer could be of use. My mind is clear but there is no way I can prevent myself from drowning.

I woke up many mornings after being hit by such worst nightmares and pondering over why oceans scare me off so much. Perhaps, it's the fear of water, fear of drowning or just the fear of not being able to swim. This fear has to stop sometime, I decided. Thanks to the timing of inauguration of the swimming pool in my apartment and an instructor who was ready to train a bunch of interested people, I have taken the first steps to thwart this fear. The adventure has begun and I'm still trying to figure out a way to float in the water without any support. After 3 classes, my instructor must be wondering how on earth could a person be so scared. I always have the fear while gliding that he is going to let go off my hand. I literally had to plead with him not to do so. The best part is that I hold onto my instructor's hands so tightly that he couldn't let go off me even if he wants to.

As a friendly advice, my 9 year old neighbour friend who is an expert swimmer asserts with a positive tone, "You wouldn't drown in a 5 feet sized pool, aunty!". She demonstrates to me the different strokes she has learnt with ease. I wonder how long it will take for me to become an expert as her. Anyway, I just want to learn the basics in the next 2-3 weeks so that I can enjoy the process of swimming and imbibe a form of physical activity which is so desperately needed for my sedentary lifestyle.

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