The story; as a child my father tried to teach me and my brother to swim by throwing us out of a rowboat and letting us catch the boat. Oh my my my! That was some really cold water. Oh, did I say the body of water was Lake Erie? Yeah, really cooooooooooool aka. cold water.
Next part of the story moves to various hospitals. Always Catholic hospitals. As a sickly child I ended up with numerous trips to the hospital for pneumonia or severe allergic reactions. The nuns always had the idea that an ice bath followed by a hot shower would break a fever. What it broke was my love for nuns. It also helped me foster the intense dislike to cold water...especially after a hot shower.
The final part of this saga is a father who would drag me off to the "Y" to swim with him...freezing cold water in the pool. Nope, not me. Into the hot showers I would go and camp out. I got scolded severely and decided again I did not like cold water of any kind.
Any time I can face and understand a fear in the past, I open myself up to the potential of ridding myself of that fear. Just for today I did just that.
When I arrived at the beach I knew the water temperature was cool....no cold. It was approximately 61 degrees Fahrenheit. I love being in the Gulf of Mexico so very much I made up my mind instantly that I would be in that water. It is also the only body of water I can float in... A body fat content of -1 doesn't let me float normally.
As soon as I had laid down my towel I made sure the camera was rolling and I veritably ran head first into the water. Guess what? I still don't like cold water!!!
I did roll around. I did laugh manically. I did wave at the camera. (The video is posted below) I did resolve my fear of cold water. I will now proceed with a profound respect for cold water.
I am looking deep within for more old leftover fears that I can confront. Maybe I will take on oh...who knows.
Love and light
richard
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