It's something I've just laughed off or used as my "interesting thing about me" in all the first days' getting-to-know-yous. "One thing people may not know about me is that I can't swim"... "I'm not a swimmer, I'm a drowner"...
One of my New Year's Resolutions this year was to learn to swim.
So probably around February, I looked up adult swim classes at the Provo Rec Center, and found one. Wasn't that hard. I convinced, also somewhat easily, my partner in crime, Lisa, to do this with me. She also is(was) a drowner.
It's one of those things you put off forever and then you finally google it and you're embarrassed because it's so easy to find a solution. Well... okay... it wasn't that easy, nothing is ever that easy with a rec center (we were late for registration, but the class hadn't started). Without elaborating on the details of my phone calls to the Provo Rec, we made it on the list within 24 hours of setting out to do so.
I went swimsuit shopping on my lunch break the day of our first class, seeking a tasteful one-piece that will keep my bum where it should be as I would be embarrassing myself enough as a 28-year-old practicing blowing bubbles in the water). I found a great blue suit, but last minute called Lisa to see what she'd be wearing. Sure enough, she found the same blue suit. Call it intuition. I was able to swap out for the plain black. But I'm laughing imagining us showing up in matching swimsuits. ("Oh no, this isn't the synchronized swim sister class?!?!")
What may secure your bum for actual swimming may not safely secure everything else, I realized as I got ready for that night. I threw on my sports bra under my suit and briefly glanced in the mirror. Welp, no one was going to be at this class trying to impress, so I went on my way and rocked the sports bra twice a week, every week.
I loved it because we walked into the room and our instructor introduced herself and made us get in and start kicking with the boards. I didn't have any more time to be afraid or embarrassed. And off we went. There were 5 of us in the class, which was honestly more than I expected. One did drop out.
We learned elementary swimming. I'm never going to race you in the pool, I'm not going to mermaid dive or dolphin dive or swan dive or, well, any kind of cool dive. But I'll cannon ball and not be afraid. The last class we spent just jumping into the deep water over and over. I experienced a total natural high at the end of that night, elated to no longer be a self-classified "drowner". But more, I felt I could conquer anything.
I think sometimes as adults we sell ourselves short, because we are told from when we are young that the best time to learn how to do something new is when you are young, that it's so much harder as an adult. It probably was, and I'll never be a pro, but I can do it. You can do it. It has made me want to learn to do other new things. We aren't that old, and we can still learn. What I'm trying to tell you is if there is something you don't like about who you are, you can change it! It's not too late.
One of my New Year's Resolutions this year was to learn to swim.
So probably around February, I looked up adult swim classes at the Provo Rec Center, and found one. Wasn't that hard. I convinced, also somewhat easily, my partner in crime, Lisa, to do this with me. She also is(was) a drowner.
It's one of those things you put off forever and then you finally google it and you're embarrassed because it's so easy to find a solution. Well... okay... it wasn't that easy, nothing is ever that easy with a rec center (we were late for registration, but the class hadn't started). Without elaborating on the details of my phone calls to the Provo Rec, we made it on the list within 24 hours of setting out to do so.
I went swimsuit shopping on my lunch break the day of our first class, seeking a tasteful one-piece that will keep my bum where it should be as I would be embarrassing myself enough as a 28-year-old practicing blowing bubbles in the water). I found a great blue suit, but last minute called Lisa to see what she'd be wearing. Sure enough, she found the same blue suit. Call it intuition. I was able to swap out for the plain black. But I'm laughing imagining us showing up in matching swimsuits. ("Oh no, this isn't the synchronized swim sister class?!?!")
What may secure your bum for actual swimming may not safely secure everything else, I realized as I got ready for that night. I threw on my sports bra under my suit and briefly glanced in the mirror. Welp, no one was going to be at this class trying to impress, so I went on my way and rocked the sports bra twice a week, every week.
I loved it because we walked into the room and our instructor introduced herself and made us get in and start kicking with the boards. I didn't have any more time to be afraid or embarrassed. And off we went. There were 5 of us in the class, which was honestly more than I expected. One did drop out.
We learned elementary swimming. I'm never going to race you in the pool, I'm not going to mermaid dive or dolphin dive or swan dive or, well, any kind of cool dive. But I'll cannon ball and not be afraid. The last class we spent just jumping into the deep water over and over. I experienced a total natural high at the end of that night, elated to no longer be a self-classified "drowner". But more, I felt I could conquer anything.
I think sometimes as adults we sell ourselves short, because we are told from when we are young that the best time to learn how to do something new is when you are young, that it's so much harder as an adult. It probably was, and I'll never be a pro, but I can do it. You can do it. It has made me want to learn to do other new things. We aren't that old, and we can still learn. What I'm trying to tell you is if there is something you don't like about who you are, you can change it! It's not too late.
Really cool, Holly! You're inspiring!
ReplyDeleteI miss you and I love you. For real.
DeleteI just now read this, and it's the funniest thing I've seen all week! "synchronized swim sister class"!! Hilarious!
ReplyDelete