The push

I never really thought I would learn swimming.

The only reason I use to avoid a shower, when a kid, was because I use to grasp for breath and had to come in and out of a shower. And more over I knew I was lazy enough, not to bother hitting the waters, expecting a eureka moment, before I actually start swimming.

So When Sudi invited me to learn swimming in my, 9th or 10th standard vacation, I analysed my downside risk, 100 bucks and 1 month effort, my upside, 100 bucks and a world swimmer, I decided to take the bet.

They took three days to teach me how to swim, quite an accomplishment, because I was promised a minimum 1 week. I also picked up cycling on the way. Then, a month or so transpired.

The next bug to hit me was Jumping from a 2-3 meter stage, I forget what they call this feat in Olympics. I had my eyes set right on the gold. I had seen sudi jump from there and admired his courage. So one day, he asked me why don't you try it. I said why not.

Now, at my height, you usually double up the distance between the mean water level and my eyes, so let's say it was 4.5 meters. And yes, at that age I was also afraid of heights. Needless to say you could pick a random word from the dictionary with a suffix of phobia, and there was a 90% chance that I would have it.

So, I climbed the stairs, Sudi leading me. He stood on the edge and jumped. He had told me what to do. You need to pierce the water, so keep your toes pointing down. You can go and touch the pool floor, or just after getting into water, free your hands, which had to cling to your body during the jump, and push the water down.

I stood on the edge for five minutes. Sudi, encouraging, requesting, pleading, giving up on me. He also said, look everybody from the road can see you and you are almost bare, why don't you just jump.

After five minutes, I turned back and climbed down the ladder.

I repeated this the next day. On the third day, again I and Sudi went on the stage, I asked him to show me how does he jump. He jumped. Then While I was standing on the edge, unbeknownst (You may blame, Hardy for my using that word. Thomas Hardy) to me Sudi came from behind and pushed me. In a sec I was in water and celebrating. Yes, I had did it.

I jumped a few more times, without any push; once or twice I even touched the pool floor, at 15 feet depth. For reasons I forget now, I stopped going to the pool from the next day.

I have remained a swimming pool swimmer since then.

Sometimes, all we need is a little push. Sometimes Sudis are around, sometimes they are not. It becomes difficult, when they are not.