When I was a young child, I took swimming lessons … twice. The first round of lessons was during the summer, at a lake, with about 75 (or so) other children. I remember learning how to do the doggie paddle and being pretty good at swimming under the water. As a matter of fact, I preferred swimming under the water simply because I could go faster. The second round of lessons was also during the summer and took place at an indoor pool. Since there were hundreds of kids in attendance of this summer camp, and as swimming was a mandatory part of the activities, the lessons were less ‘lesson-like’ and more ‘free-for-all’ encouragement of no one drowning. I got even better at swimming underwater. However, as I got older, swimming became more about what bathing suit I would wear at the beach as I worked on my tan and less about learning how to tread water or dive…
As a busy young adult living in New England, I swam very infrequently. Soon after, I also discovered that swimming underwater started to bother my ears in that I would get a bad earache if I even dunked my head under for a short time. Not wanting to showcase my talent for doing the doggie paddle in front of other young women (or small children) who could dive and breaststroke proficiently, I stopped swimming altogether and became an expert floater. Unfortunately, my lack of swimming confidence led to a fear of water, in general. If there was an opportunity for snorkeling during a tropical vacation, I was the first (and only) one to wear a lifejacket. And if there was an alternative activity to the snorkeling (as in NOT going), I was, again, the first (and only) one to volunteer. However, as life has marched along and I am now a middle-aged adult, I am finding that swimming regularly offers me health benefits that I am unable to achieve through the other forms of exercise that I can do…
Swimming is a low impact, heart-pumping exercise that helps keep me physically toned and limber. In addition, as I have grown older in my physical years, I have also grown wiser and feel less inclined to be embarrassed about doggie paddling, or not going underwater, or even keeping my glasses on so that I can see. I am also not embarrassed that I swim, mostly, in the learning, shallower pool because my swimming skills are improving, and my water fear is subsiding. And today, when  we arrived at the pool and I discovered that the learning pool was occupied with an entire class of young students having a swim lesson; without a life jacket in sight, I promptly decided that I would do my version of swimming-stroke-laps in the big-girl pool! Of course, I stayed in the lane closest to the edge so that I could hold on whenever I needed a break: But one stroke at a time…
3.8 meters! 3.8 meters!   
Kathy Naumann, possessor of NATURALLY curly hair and the understanding that you can’t control everything!

.