Swim

Doesn't make sense to have never swam and say you can't.
Start at the shallow end.
Stand on the first step.
Wade in, take your time, enjoy the water and how it hugs your body.
Start learning to swim. Get better at it. See how free you feel...
remember that fear you had? about drowning, or not being good at swimming?
it's gone now.
because you learned.
because you know what it's like to swim, to let go of fear and face it.
now you love swimming.
now you wonder what all the fuss was about. It's a skill you have for life... to swim, you never revert. you will never go back.
You have a life saving skill now.
But had you dove in off the diving board into the deep end without wading in first you would have drowned. You would have been scarred for life. You would have never gone into the shallow end after that, or at least for a very long time. you'd continue to feed the fear of swimming until it was so big that running tap water would have a negative effect on you.
You would continue standing by the water telling yourself that you can't and that you weren't good at it, that you will never be good at it.
Left at the edge forever admiring it.

You'll never know if you can swim  if you stand there talking about how beautiful the water is, how great it must feel.

The big hype? the struggle? The fear? Well, i guess anyone would struggle with the idea if diving into the deep end without having ever swam before. That's just an excuse to not get into the shallow end and learn.ah, right back to the fear. Fear of swimming, excuses not to actually learn how to...an endless circle.

what's that you say? you've swam? no my dear, floaties and rafts don't count as swimming. sure you got in the water. but it's truly different when you are submerged and floating on your own. When you are doing the work and pushing against the water as it pushed against you, together as one. when you are underwater moving freely without fear. Oh, but you don't know what that feels like. You are still standing at the ledge with your raft admiring that diving board that you know will paralize you for life if you choose to learn the extreme way. A self destructive excuse isn't it? To be so afraid of swimming that you would attempt to drown yourself proving to everyone that you "tried" and failed.  I feel sorry for you. Why? because i know you would love swimming like nothing else. You would feel more free in the water than you do in your fear.

I guess you have to pump yourself up to step into the shallow end. You have to feel ready to swim. sometimes though... the best technique is a little push by those that want to see you acquire a life saving skill. A push by that one that loves you because she would never want to see you drown. Never want to see you jump into the deep end first. No one wants  you to foolishly jump into the deep end like an immature child... they want you to experience a great gift without the fear.

Take my hand and i will teach you how to swim. slowly, carefully.
First just stand there waist deep.
hold on to me.
i'll show you how to kick, how to move your arms. see? it's not so bad? what's what? you like it?
there you go. .. hold your breath.
im going to remove my hands from under you... what's that you say?  not yet? sure my love, i'll hold on to you as long as you like. Until you are ready to move on your own.
You've been talking about how badly you wanted to do this for so long.
you are here.. just do it. im letting go of you. There you go... see..
You're amazing. You've smile is amazing. Im so proud of you. Now swim under water.... completely surrender to it and move as one. feels amazing doesn't it?

Yes...yes now you can take your first dive into the deep end.
Swim my love. You're swimming....