Saturday, June 27, 2009

C is for Chlorine and Coward

I dislike swimming. Loathe it actually. Really, I do! It’s not fun. In fact, it’s barely tolerable. (GASP!) I know…how could I? Hating swimming is like hating puppies, right. (Oh, and while we’re at it, I don’t really like puppies either.) Honestly though, my disdain toward swimming is justified. When I was a little girl I almost drowned. My cousins, siblings and I were swimming in my Great Uncle George and Aunt Gwen’s backyard pool. I was just tall enough that I could touch in the shallow end if I allowed myself to jump up and down. The shallow end was three feet deep, and then at the pools midpoint there was an abrupt drop to ten feet. I didn’t know that. Feeling comfortable with my jumping and touching technique, I made my way down the pool. When I hit that midpoint and suddenly couldn’t touch anymore I panicked. I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t see, I couldn’t swim, call for help, and no matter how hard I tried I could NOT get my head above water. In my little heart I just knew that I was going to die. I don’t know how long I was under water or how close I was to drowning. But it really doesn’t matter. The experience immediately changed how I felt about swimming. My mom signed me up for swimming lessons every summer in hopes that I would learn to swim and get over my fear. I dreaded them. They made me nauseas. I would especially panic when the teacher would make us put our head under water and blow bubbles. Still, to this day, I WILL NOT go under water without plugging my nose. Although I’m terrified of water I still go boating, water skiing, white water rafting and I’ve even gone cliff jumping(ish). But that’s different; you get to wear a lifejacket. But for some reason people tend to look at you strange when you’re in your upper twenties and where a lifejacket to the local swimming pool…in the shallow end! But, I married into a family of fish. Most of my sibling-in-laws were lifeguards or taught swimming lessons. And I think all of them were on the swim team at one time or another. They grew up in the water and love to swim. And in hopes that my kids will also share that love for water, I go swimming. It actually works out quite nicely. Spencer treads water in the deep end, jumps off the 30 meter platform and does double back flips off the diving boards with the older kids right behind him.
All the while, I stay where I can touch, where a hat to shade the sun (because heaven knows I won’t be going under water) and splash with the babies. Earlier this week we spent the day at Lava Hot Springs (or Hot Lava as Brynlee calls it) with the Francis Family. It was a near perfect day and a day of firsts:
Jace went swimming for the first timeBrynlee floated around completely unassisted and jumped off the steps into the water all by herself Alec proudly went down the children’s slide without help. Bryn jumped off the high dive for the first time.And Gav did a flip (a flip!) off the diving board.
And I, for the first time in a long time, enjoyed myself at the pool.
Thanks Francis’ for sharing the day with us. It was fun.
**All pictures by SFoto! Thanks Sarah**

12 comments:

mammabug said...

You should be a pro after all that lap swimming we used to do. I have a hard time getting past that whole swimsuit issue. What's the big deal about sweats and t-shirts. If I could just tone up that baby butt I acquired gee 3 years ago.

Stacey Crandall said...

Kim, I think I was there when that happened. I remember someone ( I am sure it was you) doing that. You are talking about the pool in Morgan by Grandma and Grandpa's house????

Jen said...

Kim, I also share a little bit of your dislike for swimming. Except for different reasons. Mine is, I think of all the people sharing the same water with me and slimy locker room floors.

Lacy said...

You did marry into a talented swimming family didn't you?

You look beautiful in the pool with your hat and your 2 kiddies!

Kali Jo said...

i loved your pic of you and the kids. I noticed that they are perfectly placed in front of you therefore hiding and unsightly swimsuit issues you may or may not have. Thanks for the pic so i know how to place my kids when doing a photo op in the pool.Luckily I have three kids to mask my unsightly swim suit body. (but it is their fault I have it to begin with isn't it):)

Miranda said...

I had no idea you hated swimming (though I had suspicions about the puppies). Aren't you a wonderful sacrificing mom for swimming with your kids! :)

Kimberlee said...

Erin- You'd think! Except for I never really lap "swim" instead kicked while white knuckling a kickboad. You would think I would also be an accountant based on all the "accounting" we did, but that didn't pan out either. :) I do miss those days though.

Stacey- I'm sure you were there. It was the swimming pool in Morgan.

Lib said...

I've gotta check your blog more often.. you guys are extremely entertaining! :)

Hollie Rae Keller said...

Kim- Jared and I drove by your house the other night. We go on weekly drives up mink creek on sundays and breah had told me the area you live in. Your house looks so beautiful!!!! Beautiful!

Kimberlee said...

Thanks Hollie. Next time you're in the neighborhood stop in.

Ben and Jesse said...

I agree with you 100%! I love the water but yet I am terrified of the water for the same reasons you are. I too have my own life jacket and I am usually the only adult wearing one whenever we go rafting or boating or wherever. I am glad that I am not the only one!

kylee said...

couldn't be happier about this post. no i'm not happy that you don't like swimming, but i am happy to know i'm not the only one! and i'm a 21 year old girl living in a summery world full of friends who want to go swimming every day. okay i just used a whole lot of exaggeration just there but my age group does love swimming, my friends especially. just like you i almost drowned. a few times actually. once i fell face first into a fish pond. my mom barely caught me by the ankle. i was traumatized. just reading this made me nervous. i have this major fear of deep water. not being able to touch is the worst feeling in the world. and i'm a short girl so being able to touch is not a common thing for me. i realize i'm making this comment far too long, but i just have to agree with everything and tell you we live the same life! i can't go underwater without plugging my nose either. that includes boating. when i'm about to fall off the tube, i grab my nose. oh about to biff it on the wakeboard, where's my nose? is it just me or is treading water the hardest thing ever? i can't do it. i just start to sink a little and then i panick and then death shortly follows. somtimes i wish i was a mom already so i could use that as my i'm going to stay in the shallow end and sit here excuse. okay longest comment ever. sorry about that!

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