According to my mother, swimming and musical studies are two mandatory extracurricular skills that every person should have, and, of course, all her daughters acquired them.
I was four years old when I started taking swimming lessons on the weekends. For my energetic little self, learning to float, kick around with the floating board, hold my breath, and blow bubbles underwater was so much fun. I think I was very good at floating because trying to reach the floor in the 90cm/3ft shallow pool with my hands was like an impossible task for me.
Then, the day came when we all little ducklings were taken to the 3m/10ft deep side of the pool for our first diving experience. It was a social and family event, with parents watching from the first-floor balcony and instructors around the pool to ensure safety.
I remember it was a sunny day, and the water beautifully reflected the light on the pool’s floor. It was so pretty, but also so blurry (I’m short-sighted), so deep, and so scary! It was a blue abyss!
I was waiting in line for my turn to be sacrificed to the swimming pool gods. My bravery and floating skills left my body. All the kids in front of me were successfully jumping and returning from the water, but that didn’t change my growing panic.
My turn. I stood at the edge of the trampoline, unable to do it. I turned around and ran to the changing room to cry my shame away from the public eye. Like a good motivational film, my mum arrived and sat beside me. I don’t remember the details, but I’m sure we had the whole “I am scared” conversation with the “You can do it” and the “No, I can’t”. Suddenly, my mum said, “Do you remember the Hello Kitty backpack you liked so much…”
[Flashback]
Another beautiful day. Walking with my mum, running errands. Then I saw it, sitting in a shop window, the most beautiful Hello Kitty backpack I’d ever seen in my whole four-year-old life. Most probably the first and only Hello Kitty backpack I’d ever seen. We went in, but when my mum saw the price, she said, “No, it’s too expensive,” and we left.
[Back to the changing rooms]
“Do you remember the Hello Kitty backpack you liked so much? If you jump, I’ll buy it for you”. My eyes widened. I asked to double-check, “Really?”. When confirmation was given, my bravery and floating skills came back to my body. A miracle!
I tried to run back to the pool, but not before being reminded not to run because the floor is wet and I could fall, and to wait for my mum to return to the balcony to see my great feat.
Back in the swimming pool, I told my instructor I was going to jump. I walked back to the trampoline edge, turned around, and squeezed my eyes to try to see if my mum was back. She was there and waved to me. Permission to jump was given. The pool was still pretty, blurry, deep and scary, but the most beautiful Hello Kitty backpack was waiting for me.
Since I’m writing this, you can deduce I survived the trial, and I can confirm I got my reward!
This whole story is my four-year-old version of Veni, Vidi, Vici. It’s a constant reminder that even though sometimes I’m scared and distrustful of my abilities and resources around me, I must risk jumping because there will be a reward afterwards.
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