Swimming lessons
Until I reached my quarter life, I didn’t know how to swim. Years before that, I thought I would remain landlocked and be the first to perish in a seafaring tragedy or an airplane freak accident that happened to land in the deep blue ocean. I felt that my body in all its uncoordinated glory would sink faster than a hammer in the water.
Yet, I resolved to make a private vow to learn how to float and not flub. My initial months served as a great Youtube alternative to my peers who would watch as I flipped and flopped like a wet kitten grasping for air. I even despaired that I could never be Aquaman and be the master of the sea. I feared than I would actually become the Sub Mariner with an emphasis on sub and simply learn how to get along with the bottom-dwelling detritus.
However, with my no shame-no gain determination, I actually learned how to float, and finally earn my fins. Not surprisingly though, with all the time spent underwater as the chlorine seeped into my brain, I learned some lifesaver lessons, too.
Getting That Sinking Feeling
As the bubbles floated above as I learned how to sink, I realized, with all the improbabilities of life, that land is simply a watery illusion. The ground we tread on can open up anytime as reality harpoons us to fact that we were never walking on land in the first place. We first suspect this when dear colleagues pass away without notice such as my photographer friend Thad Reantaso who died a few weeks ago in a landslide accident caused by Typhoon Frank. I simply got an e-mail about his passing and that was that. It simply happened. Then, after college, this idea becomes fluid in our daily experience as our parents unground us with reality. We start paying for our bills and choosing what we want to do since parental floaters can get you so far.
Obviously, as the floaters are taken away, we start to panic, which is the worst thing to do. It is because panicking causes one to sink faster but is an inevitable part of learning. As we start to calm down, we become more aware that we have always been floating along and sometimes swimmingly well. Aside from our parents, there has always been the Big Whale who keeps us from life’s sharks, tidal waves, and blistering barnacles.
Don’t just get your feet wet, jump in!
And that’s how I learned to swim. It is about not being afraid of nature but rather flowing with it and learning how to adjust to its currents. Every time I went into the pool, I decided to not sheepishly tip-toe into the water but rather jump in with a big splash. I eventually conquered my fear of sinking. After that, with a lot of happy thoughts and remembering to exhale, I started to float or you can say even fly in the underwater Neverland. It is because sinking is caused by your body not breathing normally and it being too stiff. Just relax and you’ll coast along just fine.
And that is how I realized I got some big breaks in life, including this column. I simply jumped into opportunities with good humor. I also understood , as fellow Supreme columnist Pepe Diokno told me, that we are works in progress. Don’t worry about getting to the horizon, the trouble is in throwing your flip-flops away and stepping into the sandy water. If you learn how to actually make the first flip and flap in the water, you will be awakened to the fact that you can actually go deeper and farther into the ocean like you’ve never imagined before. Which I believe is true because I actually dived 20 feet into the sea a few weeks ago in Anilao, Batangas. But for now, make a splash, practice the strokes in the right form as you stretch as far as you can, and you might actually find out what’s beyond the sea.
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This article is dedicated to everyone who has taught me to swim in and out of the pool.
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