Fear.
An important theme in science fiction writing is fear. In my own personal life the ability to swim had eluded all my hard work to attain that goal. The mental block is the fear of drowning and
having a vivid imagination reinforced that fear.
My first encounter with water was very short and unpleasant. My father in his early days was athletic although small but wiry and with a flexible physique. He had taught all the local children how to swim with his own technique. He would sit the child on his shoulders and jump straight into the local canal. He was an excellent swimmer and was at hand to ensure the safety of the child who had a stark choice sink or swim. Many years later after I was borne My father had a chronic medical condition that inhibited his normal style of teaching how to swim. My father had lived in the North of England before moving down South and on the fateful day chose the river Thames as the closest the was to a canal. I was in awe of my dad and what ever he said was it. The day was lovely and sunny. People were picnicking as my dad commanded . “Jump in the water lad.”
Nobody had checked to see the depth of the Thames and in fact the water was so murky I could not see the bottom. Lucky for me my feet hit the soft slimy ooze which covered my ankles. The last thing in my mind was swimming all I wanted was to get out quickly. I started complaining “It's horrible in hear, can I get out?” My father replied “Come on Son make an effort.” With no other choice. I pitched forward under the surface swallowing the foul liquid as it went up my nose I started thrashing my arms and legs. I regained my position upright but much deeper in the ooze and now the level of water was frighteningly high. I think my Mother had become a little alarmed at seeing her offspring spitting out mouthfuls of Thames water and said. “ Would you like to learn to swim in the local swimming pool?” Dad was not happy, but I certainly was to get back on to dry land.
Over the next few years my school had arranged regular trips to the swimming baths. The was a small group of non swimmers and when it cam to practising to swim I fared no worse than any of them. We would face the side of the swimming bath with arms outstretched grasp the side then horizontal with the level of the water kick our legs furiously. At one of the sessions I bumped into a girl that lived not far from me and secretly I had a school boy attraction for her and I was so overjoyed at her generous offer to help me with my quest to swim. She persuaded me to lie on my back and she slid her arms under my body for support. everything was going fine for one second and then I was submerged faster than a submarine water rushed up my nose in my mouth and ears I panicked with the feeling of drowning. My young trusted Venus thought it would be funny to push me under the water. Despite her pleas to return I felt humiliated and knew I could never trust her. At the start of the winter break my father asked. “Can you swim Lad?”
The truth was I always felt I had the ability to swim and was so close but that fear kept getting in the way. “No dad but I am sure I am very close.” My Father instructed “This weekend you will take the bus to the swimming pool and learn.”
As I walked from the bus stop to the entrance of the swimming pool my breath turned into frost in the biting cold wind. The swimming pool was deserted except for the ticket lady wrapped in a thick coat and a coloured scar covering her hair. “Is this your first time hear?” She enquired.
“Yes I was hoping there would be somebody that could help me to swim, but there is no body else hear.” I paid for my ticket then thought. “Can you swim?”
“No dear I am sorry.”
I Lowered my self into the freezing water and did my usual churning of the water and looked with despair at the empty swimming pool and thought what bad luck.
.
Over forty years later my wife and I visited a local private hotel that had a heated swimming pool open to the public. I had talked to my wife about my regret that I could not swim.
Sitting on a chair at the side of the pool my wife talked to me. “Lay your head back as if you laying flat on your back on a bed.” I took a gulp of air and kept my my mouth and nose closed
and let myself fall back. “Straighten your body and legs so you are horizontal and relax.”
To my surprise I did not sink. “Breath normally and gently move your arms by your sides.”
It was a miracle in less than five minutes my fear of water had been controlled.
having a vivid imagination reinforced that fear.
My first encounter with water was very short and unpleasant. My father in his early days was athletic although small but wiry and with a flexible physique. He had taught all the local children how to swim with his own technique. He would sit the child on his shoulders and jump straight into the local canal. He was an excellent swimmer and was at hand to ensure the safety of the child who had a stark choice sink or swim. Many years later after I was borne My father had a chronic medical condition that inhibited his normal style of teaching how to swim. My father had lived in the North of England before moving down South and on the fateful day chose the river Thames as the closest the was to a canal. I was in awe of my dad and what ever he said was it. The day was lovely and sunny. People were picnicking as my dad commanded . “Jump in the water lad.”
Nobody had checked to see the depth of the Thames and in fact the water was so murky I could not see the bottom. Lucky for me my feet hit the soft slimy ooze which covered my ankles. The last thing in my mind was swimming all I wanted was to get out quickly. I started complaining “It's horrible in hear, can I get out?” My father replied “Come on Son make an effort.” With no other choice. I pitched forward under the surface swallowing the foul liquid as it went up my nose I started thrashing my arms and legs. I regained my position upright but much deeper in the ooze and now the level of water was frighteningly high. I think my Mother had become a little alarmed at seeing her offspring spitting out mouthfuls of Thames water and said. “ Would you like to learn to swim in the local swimming pool?” Dad was not happy, but I certainly was to get back on to dry land.
Over the next few years my school had arranged regular trips to the swimming baths. The was a small group of non swimmers and when it cam to practising to swim I fared no worse than any of them. We would face the side of the swimming bath with arms outstretched grasp the side then horizontal with the level of the water kick our legs furiously. At one of the sessions I bumped into a girl that lived not far from me and secretly I had a school boy attraction for her and I was so overjoyed at her generous offer to help me with my quest to swim. She persuaded me to lie on my back and she slid her arms under my body for support. everything was going fine for one second and then I was submerged faster than a submarine water rushed up my nose in my mouth and ears I panicked with the feeling of drowning. My young trusted Venus thought it would be funny to push me under the water. Despite her pleas to return I felt humiliated and knew I could never trust her. At the start of the winter break my father asked. “Can you swim Lad?”
The truth was I always felt I had the ability to swim and was so close but that fear kept getting in the way. “No dad but I am sure I am very close.” My Father instructed “This weekend you will take the bus to the swimming pool and learn.”
As I walked from the bus stop to the entrance of the swimming pool my breath turned into frost in the biting cold wind. The swimming pool was deserted except for the ticket lady wrapped in a thick coat and a coloured scar covering her hair. “Is this your first time hear?” She enquired.
“Yes I was hoping there would be somebody that could help me to swim, but there is no body else hear.” I paid for my ticket then thought. “Can you swim?”
“No dear I am sorry.”
I Lowered my self into the freezing water and did my usual churning of the water and looked with despair at the empty swimming pool and thought what bad luck.
.
Over forty years later my wife and I visited a local private hotel that had a heated swimming pool open to the public. I had talked to my wife about my regret that I could not swim.
Sitting on a chair at the side of the pool my wife talked to me. “Lay your head back as if you laying flat on your back on a bed.” I took a gulp of air and kept my my mouth and nose closed
and let myself fall back. “Straighten your body and legs so you are horizontal and relax.”
To my surprise I did not sink. “Breath normally and gently move your arms by your sides.”
It was a miracle in less than five minutes my fear of water had been controlled.
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