I hate swimming. I never do it, not even in the ocean. I don’t swim in rivers, I don’t swim in oceans, and I don’t swim in lakes. My parents have a second home with an infinity pool in it. I never use it.
I never swim because I hate swimming. But I’m glad my parents forced me to swim as a kid. I was sitting in bed this morning, thinking about how someone had told me a story of how another person almost drowned in the deep of a pool. This was years ago, and I couldn’t remember many details. But I still remember thinking how pathetic that would be. To drown in a stagnant pool of water as healthy, sober individual; not at the mercy of an aggressor. I didn’t think this out disdain or cruelty for the person my friend was talking about. It just seemed legitimately quite sad.
I went to swimming lessons young, and I attended them for a very long time. I must have been maybe 4 or 5 when I started swimming. Most likely even younger. It was a grueling experience for me. I was a skinny, sensitive kid. I was always cold. Putting on and removing my swimming cap made the skin on my scalp hurt. I couldn’t float.
But now that I’m 25, I can tread water. I haven’t been in a pool in years, and I know I can tread water. I can do every stroke except the butterfly. I can jump in the water whenever I want. I just don’t.
Doing all of those swimming lessons while I was young definitely ruined swimming for me. I remember asking my parents to quit all the time. But sometimes parents know best. I may not like swimming anymore, but all bodies of water are safe for me to be around now. The advantage I have in life is incalculable, because other people are at risk of dying in the water. I come across people who can’t swim a lot. It’s a sad state to be in. Kind of like being monolingual. I had the good fortune of being born bilingual. It’s like you’re living life in full color, while everyone else is listening to it on the radio. Knowing how to swim is the life-or-death version of this scenario. Within the blink of an eye, a strong swimmer can’t set themselves apart from the crowd, making weaker swimmers appear feeble and dangerous to be around.
Swimming is a life skill. Everyone should know how to swim, and to be frank, I don’t want to be around people who can’t swim. I mean this in the same way that I don’t want to be around people who can’t read, or who can’t earn money. Certain states of being put people in vulnerable positions, risking the lives and comforts of their friends by extension. Not being able to survive in water is one of those states. So, no matter how much your child is complaining, you need to make sure that they can swim. Rivers, lakes, and the ocean need to be accessible to them, if you love them. I don’t think I’ll ever jump into a body of water for the sake of fun ever again, but I also can’t imagine how dull and frightening the world would be if I didn’t have the option to do so whenever I want. Teach your kids to swim until it’s second nature to them.
Thanks for paying attention.
