Sunday, September 07, 2014

Happy Labor Day, Happy Sunday and Happy Belated Birthday to me.









Yes, my birthday was September 1st.  I've always loved the day I was born.  Come to think of it who wouldn't love the day that they first became acquainted with the world. Whether it's your first time visiting planet earth or your hundredth,  It has to be a kick.

Anyway, I was lying in bed this morning thinking about a bunch of things, one of them being a time I confronted one of my fears.  I hesitate to say conquer because I didn't. 

The fear.  Heights, drowning, jumping from a diving board.  First of all it's funny even to me it's strange that I'm super afraid of heights but will ride a plane.  I pray the entire time of the flight. But back to my facing my fear.

Many years ago after Bill had been trying to teach me to swim, float and at least be able to dog paddle and do the drown proofing thing, I decided to take a swim class through our local park district. The class was listed as for adults.  Can anyone tell me when 12 years of age became an adult?

Anyway, I arrived at the first class and there were about a dozen little boys, What the heck? I stayed because I was determined to learn to swim.  How well I did I don't remember, but there came the time in the class when everyone had to jump off of the diving board.  My first thought: No way in....am I doing that. But when you have a dozen little kids and every single lifeguard in the place making a circle in the water I decided to to it.  I wish Bill had been there to see me and to film it even. But of course, Bill was always saying I could swim anyway. I swear the man doesn't believe that there is anything I can't do.  I have to love him for his faith in me.

Back to the dive. It's been years, so I totally don't remember a thing about it, except that I did it.  I think I popped back up, but so many pairs of hands were grabbing me that who knows. I do know no one pushed me off the board.  And I know that everyone clapped and cheered for the coward who at least faced her fears with a pool filled with hands ready to save her.

After that I did swim, float and dog paddle at the local pool in mo more than 5 ft of water. LOL.  I wanted to be able to stand. Where did this irrational fear of drowning come from you might ask. Try when I was a kid and my cousin took me out into what was the middle of the lake and dropped me into the water when he saw his daughter floating in the water. Of course as a mother I don't blame him for saving his child, but it seriously freaked me out and left me afraid of the water. I can't even tell you who came out in the water to get me, just that since I'm here writing this, someone had to have saved me.

One last thing: In 1989 Bill, Billy and I went to Disney and then on a cruise. On Coco Beach, I almost drowned and Bill had to rescue me after I screamed, begged and turned to those on the shore to help me. Bill thought I was playing around, and those on the shore thought I was nuts.

What had happened was without warning a wave had come while I was in the water and washed all the sand away beneath me. I couldn't touch bottom. And remember I didn't get in water that I couldn't walk out of.  So I attempted to swim. Heck I could see the shoreline, but I couldn't reach it.  I kept repeating to myself, BILL SAID YOU CAN SWIM. BILL SAID YOU CAN SWIM.  So I kept trying between screaming for Bill to come and help me. Finally he told Billy, "Let me go and see what your mother wants.  They were a ways in front of me in much deeper water.

So Bill began walking toward me, not even rushing, no swimming involved.  And I'm drowning. By that point, it was forget Bill and forget to people on the shore who won't help me.  It was PLEASE GOD HELP ME!!!!

Bill hits a pocket of no sand then says oh oh, I'd better hurry, Dyanne is in deep trouble. So at last he began to stroke toward me in order to save me from a watery grave. Once again the things Bill had said to me over and over about if you're in trouble and someone is attempting to save them from drowning, you remain calm, don't clutch the rescuer or you could drown them too.  I did everything he'd told me and I'm alive and well today because he saved my life.

After  lessons with a dozen little boys, almost drowning on vacation, I was determined that I would not give into the fear of water and that very day got in the pool so I wouldn't let my fear incapacitate me.  I still go swimming.  But thank God, Our town pool is only 5 ft deep.  Bill hates that, but for me it's perfect.

What secret fear have you faced?

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