topic Re: CONFESSION; I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SWIM in Among Friends

CONFESSION; I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SWIM

Shanus — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 13:41:13 GMT

When I was very young, my Dad had a large boat, not a yacht w/ rooms where you can sleep, but did have an area underneath where you lie down and/or take a break from the sun. It was docked at a lake nearby. We went almost every Sunday and stayed until sundown and then made the 1/2 hour trip home.

The first week we had that boat, my Dad was trying out our life jackets. Although my brother was 3 yrs. younger, he was bigger than me....even when we were 5 and 8. Well, Dad buckled me into my jacket and thought he pulled the straps tight enough.

When he told me to go down the ladder and float to try it out, I slipped out of the jacket (immediately) and started to sink into the deep water. Dad jumped in and found me within minutes, but it scared the cwap out of me and I have stayed away from the water except a dip in a pool to cool off where it was 3' deep.

I was prepared to take the "Adult Chicken Swimming Class" at my gym before the pandemic and the gym closed. The pool is now open and they called to see if I was still interested in that swim class. I'm still not sure I can do it. ***I even face backwards in the shower so my face isn't under the water. LOL

Re: CONFESSION; I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SWIM

Desertdi — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 13:46:20 GMT

I can't swim either.....took lessons with no result. When I was a kid, some other children "dunked" me (held my head under water), in Lake Michigan. I STILL remember that..........

Re: CONFESSION; I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SWIM

LindaSal — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 13:47:37 GMT

Jeez @Shanus , that sounds traumatic. I would think it would take great courage for you to take the swim class. Do what you are comfortable with though, not something that may stress you out. I recently turned 60 and my outlook is I am not going to try and prove anything anymore to myself or others, but that's just me. I'm sure you will make the right decision for you.

Re: CONFESSION; I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SWIM

Shanus — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 13:48:15 GMT

@Desertdi wrote:
I can't swim either.....took lessons with no result. When I was a kid, some other children "dunked" me (held my head under water), in Lake Michigan. I STILL remember that..........

@Desertdi Not sure why I feel the urge to learn now except taking the GDs to the beach this summer, I think I should be able to grab them up in an emergency.

Re: CONFESSION; I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SWIM

Shanus — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 13:50:11 GMT

@LindaSal wrote:
Jeez @Shanus , that sounds traumatic. I would think it would take great courage for you to take the swim class. Do what you are comfortable with though, not something that may stress you out. I recently turned 60 and my outlook is I am not going to try and prove anything anymore to myself or others, but that's just me. I'm sure you will make the right decision for you.

@LindaSal It's definitely anxiety provoking. The past year really was stressful enough, but something's telling me to give a try.

Re: CONFESSION; I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SWIM

Pook — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 14:02:33 GMT

@Shanus At least you have a good reason. I have taken swimming lessons several times at various ages and could not get past the floating or putting any part of my head in water. I also do not like to get my head under running water in the shower and quickly do it when washing my hair while holding my breath.

Re: CONFESSION; I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SWIM

on the bay — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 14:17:54 GMT

I'm so sorry for all that have had some traumatic experience in the water.

My mother was always afraid because her father (my grandfather) was always worried and telling them not to go too deep etc.

She was determined my sister and I wouldn't be afraid so she tried to show no fear of the water when with us.

My son had those baby swim lessons where they dunked them thinking that babies naturally hold their breath. Well, that didn't work well with him. He was crying and didn't go back into the water for a year.

However, he is now a good swimmer

and I won many metals on the swim and diving team, and a lifeguard during the summer.

I often wonder if loving the water or not is also an inborn thing. Some can't stay away, like one of my grandsons-no fear ever since he was born.Me too, but my sister, not so much. She can swim but never really loved it. Others are more timid despite their experience.

It is a wonderful liberating feeling to be able to swim like a dolphin.

If you do decide to take lessons, I would say to try to put that past awful experience just where it was. You don't have to experience that again and hopefully the intructors are gentle and slow and make it fun and reassuring. And you never have to do anything you are not comfortable with.

Re: CONFESSION; I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SWIM

Snoopp — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 14:11:05 GMT

@Shanus swimming is a wonderful skill to have. I think you should try the class. They will start you out just like a kid by getting you used to putting your face in the water. You should be standing in the shallow end too. Give it a shot. You'll practice kicking while holding on to the pool edge. I think you will do fine. And there are many more classes available to you, so you go at your own pace.

Re: CONFESSION; I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SWIM

Effie54 — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 14:11:36 GMT

Don't feel bad, I can't swim either. i've tried taking lessons, and my family has offered to try and help me learn. But to no avail, I would sink like a rock. It's just not for me.

Re: CONFESSION; I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SWIM

KingstonsMom — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 14:11:49 GMT

@Shanus

Listen to your gut that's telling you that you should try, sometimes those gut feelings are right on the mark, especially with your GDs at the beach.

Most times the best way to conquer a fear is to face it head on and you never know what fate/life may throw in your way where you could NEED to know how to swim.

Re: CONFESSION; I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SWIM

JYWilliams — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 14:16:27 GMT

I can't swim either. As a child the person that was gonna teach me to swim said they wouldn't let me go in the water til i felt comfortable. well they let me go and I went under. So after that I never learned how to swim cause that scared me to death.

Re: CONFESSION; I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SWIM

FastDogWalker2 — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 14:16:35 GMT

I feel fortunate to have grown up near water and being provided swim lessons from the time I was really young. I have friends who are adults and never learned to swim. Some have taken lessons and some haven't. I think it would be very difficult to learn as an adult if you experienced a traumatic event with water as a child.

Re: CONFESSION; I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SWIM

ALRATIBA — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 14:21:51 GMT

I never learned to swim either ... just not interested in beaches and water.

Re: CONFESSION; I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SWIM

dsw503 — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 14:38:21 GMT

I tried to learn many times as a kid. My dad took me several times to a pool and a couple of times I wouldn't even come out of the locker room in my swimsuit. As a young teen, I went for private lessons with a swim teacher and had the lessons in her pool. Finished that class and still couldn't swim. I decided long ago it wasn't for me. Usually I support always trying again and in your case, I'd say go to the first class. However, this may be the time that you decide you've used enough energy on thinking about swimming and just move on by not taking the class without regret. You know yourself better than anyone else!

Re: CONFESSION; I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SWIM

judy0330 — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 14:40:58 GMT

I would love to be able to swim. I don't have any fear of the water. I have taken swimming lessons several times and it seems that the second I set foot in the pool I lose any coordination I ever had! I just haven't been able to synchronize my arms and legs.

Re: CONFESSION; I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SWIM

riley1 — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 14:42:56 GMT

@Shanus - Take the adult beginner swim class. We lived in a lake community and had a swimming pool in our yard. My kids started swim lessons when they were about 4 or 5 y/o. As they got older, they had to take the lessons - it was not an option for them. And, we traveled quite a bit to the Islands, so they needed to know how to swim.

As they got older, they took life saving classes and became life guards. My one daughter even taught private lessons on her college breaks.

Most everywhere you go, you will find water. Its good to know how to swim.

Re: CONFESSION; I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SWIM

Carolina925 — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 14:47:05 GMT

I've never learned to swim, can't stand to get water in my face. I was born and grew up on an island so I don't have an excuse other than I'm scared of the water. I'm embarrassed to tell people because I always get the look like I just sprouted an extra eye.

Re: CONFESSION; I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SWIM

Mombo1 — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 15:03:44 GMT

@Shanus wrote:
When I was very young, my Dad had a large boat, not a yacht w/ rooms where you can sleep, but did have an area underneath where you lie down and/or take a break from the sun. It was docked at a lake nearby. We went almost every Sunday and stayed until sundown and then made the 1/2 hour trip home.

The first week we had that boat, my Dad was trying out our life jackets. Although my brother was 3 yrs. younger, he was bigger than me....even when we were 5 and 8. Well, Dad buckled me into my jacket and thought he pulled the straps tight enough.

When he told me to go down the ladder and float to try it out, I slipped out of the jacket (immediately) and started to sink into the deep water. Dad jumped in and found me within minutes, but it scared the cwap out of me and I have stayed away from the water except a dip in a pool to cool off where it was 3' deep.

I was prepared to take the "Adult Chicken Swimming Class" at my gym before the pandemic and the gym closed. The pool is now open and they called to see if I was still interested in that swim class. I'm still not sure I can do it. ***I even face backwards in the shower so my face isn't under the water. LOL

@Shanus I understand your fear of water. I had a bad experience as well. About 40 years ago I got caught in a rip current at Daytona Beach. It took 3 lifeguards with ropes to pull me back to shore. I have never been back in the water since.
My family has also encouraged me to take swimming classes ....but I just have no interest.

Re: CONFESSION; I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SWIM

itsmagic — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 15:13:54 GMT

I think taking the swim class is a good idea especially having grandchildren and going to the beach or pool with them. I know how to swim but when we go to a lake (no oceans nearby and I don’t have to worry about currents or rip tides) I enjoy floating around with a swim noodle or other floaty while the grandkids swim. I wouldn’t be able to do that if I didn’t know how to swim.

Re: CONFESSION; I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SWIM

patbz — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 17:39:57 GMT

Reading this thread I'm really surprised at the number of responders who don't know how to swim, at least to some degree. I have only known one adult who didn't know how to swim ( he passed while still in his 50s). I consider the ability to swim an essential life skill. To me, it goes far beyond a physical activity or a social skill. There are so many life situations where its essential and you can't always predict them. My Mother would drive me and my brother to the community pool in early 1950s, even when Polio was still a threat, to take lessons. Later DH and I put our son in Mommy and Me swim classes and kept him in subsequent lessons until he was a good swimmer. Every Summer since my Grands were 2 and 4 we've put them in lessons and also put up a good sized above ground pool ( constantly supervised); at 8 and 10 they are fish. Benefits of swimming are so all encompassing and unpredictable ; DH swam competitively through college ( even came in 3rd to Mark Spitz in a college competition ). DH had a major heart attack at 36; the collateral blood vessel system he'd built from all that heavy swimming probably saved his life, according to his Cardiologist. Please take the chance, take the adult class and do what you can to at least learn to save yourself if the occasion arises!