My lessons at swimming

In the scorching heat of April, the pool at our society premises seemed a heavenly place to be in. But the hitch was that I hadn’t gathered the courage to learn swimming in all of my 30 odd years. And standing sheepishly on the sides of the shallow side , coming in the way of the kids out to have a rollicking time, seemed a wee bit foolish. Just then, my friend told me of a coach who was ready to come at seven in the morning. With a bit of dilly dally, I thought I might as well take the fatal plunge.
So, I marched with a purposeful stride, attired in the appropriate gear, cap, swimming goggles et al on my first day at swimming. There were morning walkers, joggers and gym goers. Smiles and pleasantries were exchanged. A neighbour nodded approvingly and said “ nothing like a dip in the pool to beat the heat”. Another looked disapprovingly and said “still learning”?! But I brushed aside such snide remarks and started walking with greater resolve.
It was a great resolution for a person who believed that she would drown the moment the coach would leave her hand or remove himself from an arm’s length. So with flailing arms and legs, the adventure began. My eight year old daughter told me that I should keep myself really loose in order to float but the harder I tried , the more effort I put, the more difficult it seemed. Everyday, I thought I should quit, but just when I was planning to throw in the towel(quite literally), suddenly I was afloat.
I realized that the coach’s role is so akin to a mother’s. Its finally the child who has to study, concentrate, practice and focus but the gentle support of the hand, the firm reproof, the words of encouragement and the reassurance that ‘ you can do it’ makes all the difference.
Swimming is a must for everyone because it entails conquering one’s fear at every step and rising above it. As they say, when there is a will, there is a way.