Can I really swim? Like real swimming, not just dipping my leg inside water or playing in the shallow end. Occasionally I do ask myself that question: can I swim to save myself if life throws me in deep waters or a boat capsizes unexpected? Honestly, I don't know. I know some of us will, when the time comes, we will figure it out, but my dear, I realized that there are certain situations one should never wait until they happen before you figure them out. Just prepare ahead of time.
I remember when I was a teenager, I went for a holiday with my cousins to my grandma's place, and there was a stream close to her house. We did go there to wash our clothes and fetch water. Because back then that was the only source of water around ,not now that there is borehole everywhere. My cousins can swim because where they were staying back then has a stream, unlike me, who was living on the township side.
Each time we went to the stream to wash clothes, they would swim, and I would always stay in the shallow part, splashing water on my body. So one day we went to the stream, and my cousins convinced me that he would carry me on his back and take me to the deep part and would still bring me back. Foolish me, I agree without reading the meaning of the wicked smirk on his face. I entered his back, only for this gentleman to reach the middle of the river and drop me there.
If you see how I struggle with all my strength to get to the shore, it's like my death flashes before my eyes. At some point I was beginning to drown; my other cousin had to rush in and rescue me. That's how I developed a phobia for water. After that day, anything that has to do with water is not for me . You know the funny thing is that I stopped traveling home by sea and waited for 6 years for them to build a road before I went home again.
I am jealous of those who can swim. I am always eager to learn, but my cousin traumatized me. He still apologizes to this day. Although I tried some time last year when I needed to go somewhere, the only means of traveling was by deep river. I shifted it until I had no excuse again to give, as if the river was waiting for me. The journey was smooth, but on my way back it started raining heavily. That's how our boat nearly capsized, and I was sitting in the front. I was so scared, and I said prayers, but I never showed any sign of fear until we got down and I said never again.
I have actually learned the basics of swimming, which saved me in the pool some time ago, but I will still go back by next year to continue learning. To be sincere, learning to swim is more than a skill. There is this kind of confidence one carries everywhere if you can swim. I can swim now just to save myself but not another person.
Images are Ai generated.
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