When I was small,I was advised swimming by my doctor.Now I don’t know about you lot, for me the first week of trying to learn swimming was extremely scary and funny.By the end of the first week of trying to learn swimming,I was able to survive in the pool without getting sucked into the chasm of ocean (when you first learn to swim, even three feet of water is nothing less than a chasm).
Now, the swimming pool ,where I used to go for swimming was divided into four divisions according to the corresponding height.The first one was 2 ft, the second was 2.5ft, the third one was 4ft and the fourth one was 6ft.
At that tender age of eight, I generally used to swim at 2 to 2.5 ft height;but my trainer was insistent on my learning to swim in the 5 to 6 ft area, so he made it his personal target to make me swim there and he was successful in doing so in three to four days.After I learned swimming in the 6ft area, I started learning underwater swimming and so on.Now, one day I was swimming alone and two big kids nearly aged fourteen or fifteen, jumped into the pool at four feet height.Then they ventured into the five feet area and one of them dropped their goggles into deepest area of the swimming pool and that is in the middle of the six feet depth.
I was swimming in the six feet area and in my mind it was a deep blue sea and I was playing and swimming in it and I was trying to hold my breath and go deep as much possible, to reach the bottom of the swimming pool.I managed as far as five feet underwater and then had to rush back up, to take in a fresh bout of air.I was continuously doing so and I got tired after a bit. I was vaguely aware of what those boys were doing and suddenly they were at my back, calling me-“hey-hey”.I turned around to see what the matter was. They told me that their only goggles had fallen into the middle of the six feet area and they were unable to procure it back.They did try their best,but they managed underwater only upto two feet and now those two fourteen-fifteen year olds were asking my help to retrieve the goggles.I poked down into the water and saw that indeed the goggles had sunk into the six feet area and I understood what they were trying to convey. You see underwater if you don’t have your swimming goggles on then,you are as blind as a bat,but if you have them on, then you can see everything crystal clear like amphibians do.
It was a very funny situation for me as two boys nearly double my age were asking me to go underwater and get their goggles for them.So I did what every kid should in this situation.I called out to my mother.She was sitting near the swimming pool and I described the situation to her and asked her whether I should bring those goggles back or not.Mom replied-“Are you sure you can do it?”.I replied -“Yes,Ma.” Ma-“Then bring it back,but be very careful and if you feel uncomfortable then come back that same instant.”
“Ok,ma” was my reply.
Then I dived with my mouth puffed up with air.
The water was crystal blue and the swimming pool walls were dazzling that day.Underwater there was no one except me and the feeling was superb.After crossing the two feet depth,I started feeling the water pressure against me.With straight strokes I went deep till five feet,but at the end of five feet,I was in desperate need of air and I plummeted straight up, but this time I was serious about reaching the bottom of the ocean,well the six feet depth was no less than a ocean for me and for many others too.So, as soon as I came back up,I dived straight into the pool and with the speed of a mach jet I reached the bottom of the pool and retrieved their goggles,the mission was accomplished successfully and I came straight back up and handed it over to those boys.They told me-“thank you friend, you are quite courageous.”I accepted their thanks and that was that.
The real story lies with me reaching the bottom of the pool.My God,it was truly no less than reaching the bottom of the ocean.If you look upwards from that depth, you will surely feel and understand what undersea means and then while retrieving and collecting the goggle I felt like a marine diver discovering and treasure hunting an ancient treasure from an ancient ship, which had sunk into the sea.I have never forgotten this day. Determination and courage can make man convert impossible into possible. That eerie feeling of being so deep underwater still makes me wonder,that how come I did that?It was quite impossible,but it became possible.
Be courageous.Be Happy.
