Lesson # 1

I am not going to lie, there were some tears on Sunday as I was getting ready for my swim lesson.  I just became overwhelmed at what I was about to do. I thought to myself; forget it, I don’t want to do this.  As I sat on the edge of my bed all teary eyed, Dan said, “You have come this far just keep getting ready.”  He started to sing “Eye of the Tiger” to me which made me laugh because Dan isn’t one who just breaks out into song.  It was enough to break the tension  and get me into the car. 

The facility where I am taking my lessons is pretty impressive.  It is mostly used for patients who are rehabbing from surgeries, heart attacks, strokes, etc.  It is a very calm quiet environment with warm lighting.  I checked in and went to the women’s locker room which looks like a spa.  My hands were shaking as I put my items in the locker.  I found my way to the pool and sat on the bench as I was told to do and wait for my instructor, Patty. 

There was a senior citizen aqua-aerobic class just finishing up and they were doing their cool-down exercises.  A sweet faced woman with silver hair turned around and said, “Are you Erin?” "I am Patty I will be with you in a minute."  I took a couple of deep breaths.  She said, “You can get into the pool whenever you are ready”.  

Here it was….time to get into the water…..to quit now would be embarrassing with all those senior citizens staring at me.   I got in and the water was like bath water.   After the aerobic class cleared-out it was just Patty and I and an older gentlemen doing rehab exercises while floating on a noodle.  I will call him Salvador, Sal for short. He probably thought to himself “What is this woman afraid of? I faced Germans in WWII and didn’t think anything of it and she is afraid to put her face in the water?”

Patty asked me about my swimming history and my fear of water.  She told me about herself and that she has been teaching swimming for 30 years and is a retired Physics teacher.  She has a very calming demeanor and I was instantly at ease with her.  As we were talking I realized that she had moved me to the middle of the pool- very clever.  She said, “Ok, I am going to put these goggles on you”.  I instantly felt my body get tense. She reassured me that we would go at my pace, but she needed to see where I was in terms of being comfortable in the water.  She suggested that we start with just going underwater and opening my eyes.  “Ummmmmm, Ok”, I said reluctantly.  I asked if I could hold my nose and she said I could do whatever I wanted to do.  I held my nose went under the water waited for a second or two and slowly opened my eyes.  And what did I see? ; Sal’s little old man legs treading water…It was awesome.  I had never been able to see underwater before because I would never open my eyes, but with the goggles it was easy.  She had me do it a couple more times.  She asked if I could float and I told her I used to be able to float for a bit when I was a kid but I wasn’t sure that was still the case.  She told me to try and float on my front and to maybe try and kick too.  I took a huge deep breath, still wearing the goggles, put my face in the water, pushed off the wall and proceeded to float and kick from ONE SIDE OF THE POOL TO THE OTHER!  When I touched the wall I popped up and was so excited.  I think I yelled “NO WAY!!”  I was so surprised at what I had just done, it was unbelievable.  I told Patty, that I have never ever been able to do that- ever.  The adrenaline was pumping through my body and I was shaking.  I honestly was in shock. 

My first class was over and it was successful!  I had accomplished something big by just putting my face in the water and “swimming” a few yards.    I had taken the first step and I didn’t die.  It is kind of like the first day of Jr. High; you are so excited that you survived it but at some point you realize that you have to do it all again tomorrow.  My next lesson is this Friday.  I have to do some shopping at a specialty store for a pair of my own goggles and maybe a jazzy swim cap to match my suit.  After all, I can never pass the chance to accessorize. 

I am officially now a self appointed “guppy”, which is one level up from “terrified woman at the edge of the pool”.