Take a deep breath...then dive!

I remembered how it was during my swimming classes in college, our instructor was teaching us how to dive from the edge of the pool. Looking at my classmates I was amazed to see how it was so easy for them to do it. They copied the instructor’s pose – hands on your sides, one leg for the thrust, the other one for support, head first, then jump – and they did. But, not me. Not yet.

I was rigid, scared and ashamed. I couldn’t get the pose right, drowning was a great possibility, and I was the tallest in class for goodness sake! Inside me an argument was taking place.

“Just jump you big oaf!”
“Ohhhhh, no, just give me another minute.”
“Jump!”
“No, please. Mother!”
“You look pretty stupid half-standing, half-squatting at the edge of the pool
in your ugly bathing suit!”
“But, uh….”
“Everybody’s looking at you. Jump!”

And finally, I took a deep breath, then, half-flying, half-slipping, with the gracefulness of a moose, I jumped.

Funny, getting started with this blog felt just the same.