Man, do I really have to do #4??

I've sat here for about 15 minutes, trying to figure out how to start this post.   And I have to tell you, there is no really good way to do it except to say this..... I cannot swim, not one tiny bit.  I'm deathly afraid of water...water going in my ears, in my nose, in my eyes, and most certainly over my head. Since I'm only 5 feet tall, that depth of water would be considered "shallow" for many of my Facebook friends!  It's actually kind of pathetic on my part, but it is what it is.  

When a very dear friend learned that I couldn't swim, he suggested that I replace my bucket list idea of "getting my very first tattoo" with a much more sensible "learn how to swim well enough to save my own life some day."  Because he is so much wiser than I will ever be, I listened.  Now, I'm kind of not so sure.  

Folks, it is not for lack of trying.  Well, ok, the trying was the summer before 5th grade.  My mom thought that children #4--7 of her brood needed to learn how to swim.  So basically, we were enrolled in swimming lessons without our approval.  It seemed like it MIGHT be fun but we really didn't know what we were in for.  It didn't take long to find out.

We grew up in the small community of Haven, Ks. and that particular year, Haven was able to open its own pool and it was quite a nice one.  So when my two sisters and a brother showed up for our first lessons that June day, it was actually kind of a cool thing to be doing.  Our friends were there and since we were farm kids, a trip to town was a treat for us.  This might not be so bad after all.

All I have to say is that Jenny and Julie Fisher, the two swim teachers, had their hands full with the 4 littlest Scott kids.  I staunchly refused to put my head under water and when I did, I was sure I was drowning.  I spent the next 6 days of lessons with a death grip on the side of the pool.  There's a chance that I might have passed "bubble blowing" but that's about it friends.  Congratulations went to our little sister, Cindy, who took to swimming pretty well.  The Scott Family had a 25% success rate that summer-not so good.  What a relief when that was over!  

And so it is......I am now a 55-year old who can't swim.  Looking at it realistically, when would I ever need to know?  It's not like I go to the lake or to the ocean each year.  And Salt City Splash hasn't gotten any of my money yet either.  And that dang chlorine ruins my hair.  And I use ALL of these lame excuses to try and get out of doing something like learning to swim.  Yet, there is one thing I am conveniently overlooking.

Swimming can be a great exercise for someone my age and older.  As those aches and pains of arthritis set in with advancing years, water exercise can be very helpful, very healing.  Swimming can build up endurance and improve your cardio-vascular health.  It also is a great form of relaxation and a stress reliever as well.  

Knowing all of this, admitting to its benefits, I find it a wise choice to leave it on the "bucket list".  Already I have had two volunteers come forward and say they would help me learn to swim.  One of them, my great-niece Allison, says she'd be glad to help her Aunt Peggy learn.  I'll keep you posted my friends.