Swimming Fun
Hi, I wanted to take some time to help make summer swimming activities enjoyable and safe for everyone. Here are some tips I’ve learned from experience.
In my story, The Unbreakable Will, it shows how I love to swim. I love how the water feels like silk on you, how it supports you, and even heals you. There cannot be enough said about how great of an exercise it is. There are also mental benefits to it, such as increased confidence, stress relief, and it is a depression destroyer. I honestly don’t know what I would have done with all the mistakes I made when I was growing up. The loss of my father turned my world upside-down, and I felt hurt and betrayed. Thanks to swimming, I could deal with my emotional trauma.
This doesn’t mean the water has no dangers. However, it is important to respect the water, not fear it. This being said, there are ways to help stay safe in the water. The first rule of thumb is to always swim with a buddy. This goes double if you are alone at a lake or pond with no lifeguard. It takes a fraction of a second for someone to get into trouble. If you are with someone, they can help you.
I also wanted to touch on something I did in my book, and that was trying to stay underwater for long periods of time. Please don’t copy what I did, as I had special abilities which enabled me to do this. If you try this, it may be the last thing you do. Shallow Water Blackout is no joke and many die from it without warning. One moment you are struggling for breath, the next you are seeing angels. There are so many games and fun you can play safely. Be reasonable, it isn’t worth your life to try this.
Now that I have finished standing on my soapbox, we can get to the things you will need. Besides a killer looking swimsuit, (I like them all, if it is hot pink) a beach towel, beach umbrella, and shades, I recommend using a good pair of swim goggles. Pick one that doesn’t leak and provides great clear vision. I have found this one has splendid vision and doesn’t leak as much.
If you are super serious about speed, like my mother, then you could also try a swim cap. I like the speedo ones, but there are other brands which are good too. But let's get real, this isn’t my mother’s blog, so if you just want to swim for fun, I say go for it. To me, it doesn’t matter if you make it from one side of the pool to the other in less than 15 seconds. Who cares, unless you are swimming competitively, enjoy the experience. Play around and reestablish your connection with your inner child. Do somersaults and just let the water take your problems away. I feel if you are too serious, you will miss way too much. If you want some advice on how to swim faster, then read my mother’s blog. All I am trying to tell you is, if you take life too seriously, then you are seriously missing far too much.
Another thing swimming can do is help heal broken friendships. I don’t know what it is, but if you are swimming with others, and you have negative feelings, water helps to disperse much of the negatively destructive feelings. I have felt this with my friend Jamie and Piglet. Swimming helped me to establish a stronger friendship and heal old wounds. This can be true for many people.
One last thing I wanted to speak of is the fear of water. My mother says she will speak of this in more detail, but I wanted to say a few things about this too. This can veil itself deep within your fears and suddenly come out in its terrifying consequences. It can zap all the fun out of swimming, even if you are only a little afraid. There are several types of fears and though I am not a therapist, I can tell you overcoming fear is so liberating. Fear can be a prison without bars. It can paralyze you and prevent you from enjoying your time in the water. If you don’t know how to swim, even if you are an adult. Your local recreation center may give adult swimming lessons. You are never too old to learn. I have heard of people in their 60s, who haven’t swum a lap, who just won their masters age group class. No matter how old you are, you are never too old to overcome your fears. This can apply to anything.
I hope you have a fun, safe swimming season. It is almost summer, so I thought I would take a break from writing my memoirs to say something here. Happy swimming! Check out more details on my story here.
