The Kindersley Pool is about to open!
There’s something about water and wonder.
In grade five I took the mandatory swimming lessons at the Nautatorium in Moose Jaw. They were not fun. I disliked putting my head under water – figured my breath would never last. Tiptoeing over my head into the deep end was the height of stupidity – as far as I was concerned. And those rescue aids – who could trust a small round object to hold up a person.
I managed to stay away from water until I was recruited, now in my twenties, to lead a group of youth here in Kindersley. They liked water. I don’t know why. They just did.
I was recruited into wearing a water vest (life jacket) and letting a length of rope, attached to a whirring boat, try to lift me out of the water while being told the wood beneath my feet would hold me up. Take a breath! Or two or three. You’ll be fine! But then you start on your trip around Jeanette Lake – you’ll need a few more breaths. Which are not easily forthcoming – at least in my panicked state.
Fast forward to the fall of the year. Lunch passes at the Kindersley pool are at a ridiculously low price. I need to get upgraded on how to survive in water. I was not about to endure a water-fail again. Off I go. And who would be there but a bunch of older ladies quietly paddling in the pool. Conversing with them was much more fun than venturing into the deep end.
But after a few weeks, I did take the plunge. Plugged my nose. Turned upside down and headed to the bottom. Picked up an object and quickly darted to the top. Before I ran out of breath. Of which I did not have much left.
Now, you would think that I would be able to hold my breath for an extended period of time. I am a singer – I like to hold notes for as many beats as possible.
Funny how panic uses up air. And dulls the mind. And causes tension. And wrecks your body. And makes you imagine heaven is your next stop.
Practice did alleviate some of the panic. As a matter of fact, I ended up enjoying summers at cabins and beach swim times. Enough that I even ventured to swim across a river.
I know the risk, the panic, the hesitation. I also know the refreshment, the enjoyment, the sense of wonder. I choose water!
See you at the pool.
For more, visit kindersleysocial.ca/webarchive/Ron-Baker
