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driveway · 08-17-2014, 10:43 PM

I grew up spending all my summers at a lake in Ontario. Swimming was an all-day every-day type activity.

But I hated swimming lessons. Hated them. The rule in the family was, once you could swim across the lake, you didn't have to take lessons. I remember the day when I had my whole, eleven-year-old summer day planned out and I was running out the door and my mom shouts "Don't forget you've got swimming lessons this afternoon!"

I was so mad. I told her I was swimming across the lake right then and there. She said okay, got in the canoe and paced along side me.

I did a fair amount of the distance with the "elementary backstroke" but I made it just fine and never had to go back to swimming lessons again. Google maps tells me the distance I swam was somewhere between 1500 and 2000 meters.

I have no fears of the ocean or lakes, jumping into the middle of a black ontario lake over and over and over again all summer when you're a kid will help you get over that, but I really dislike being in swimming pools by myself. I have an utterly crazy, irrational fear that I think stems from a childhood dream.

I'm honestly scared the bottom of the pool is going to open up and there will be a big friggin' giant squid in there. No problem going in the ocean, where there are squids, but a pool by myself freaks me right out.

08-17-2014, 10:43 PM	#30
driveway A Fiddler Crab Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Chicago Exp:	I grew up spending all my summers at a lake in Ontario. Swimming was an all-day every-day type activity. But I hated swimming lessons. Hated them. The rule in the family was, once you could swim across the lake, you didn't have to take lessons. I remember the day when I had my whole, eleven-year-old summer day planned out and I was running out the door and my mom shouts "Don't forget you've got swimming lessons this afternoon!" I was so mad. I told her I was swimming across the lake right then and there. She said okay, got in the canoe and paced along side me. I did a fair amount of the distance with the "elementary backstroke" but I made it just fine and never had to go back to swimming lessons again. Google maps tells me the distance I swam was somewhere between 1500 and 2000 meters. I have no fears of the ocean or lakes, jumping into the middle of a black ontario lake over and over and over again all summer when you're a kid will help you get over that, but I really dislike being in swimming pools by myself. I have an utterly crazy, irrational fear that I think stems from a childhood dream. I'm honestly scared the bottom of the pool is going to open up and there will be a big friggin' giant squid in there. No problem going in the ocean, where there are squids, but a pool by myself freaks me right out.