Sinking

“I don’t want to get in,” said Pamela Geronimo.

“Why not?” I asked, usually getting into the pool is not a problem.

“I don’t like the water.”

“You liked the water last week. Why don’t you like the water today?” I asked.

“It’s too deep. I might sink.”

“You’re not going to sink. The teacher is in the water with you; if you start to sink, he’ll rescue you. Now, jump in.”

Pamela stood at the side of the pool not moving.

“Do you want me to throw you in?” I said deciding that today was the day to get tough. I am fed up with Pamela playing up in the swimming lessons.

“Stupid swimming!” mumbles Pamela.

“Jump in or I’ll throw you in,” I said.

“Stupid, stupid swimming,” shouted Pamela.

“Ok, I’m throwing her in,” I shouted to the swimming teacher.

“One, two...” the swimming teacher began counting. On three I picked Pamela up and chucked her in the water. She sank to the bottom of the pool. The other mothers gasped.

“That was excellent,” said the teacher as Pamela’s head popped above the surface. I’m not sure if he was talking to Pamela or to me. Pamela has been going to the EzySwim classes for over a year now, and progress has not been easy. On the weeks that she is feeling cooperative, Pamela can swim and do everything the teacher asks her to do, but on other weeks, she refuses to do anything and spends the lesson, clinging to the side of the pool, sobbing: “I want to go home.”

“Right, now you’ve sunk and survived, you don’t need to be afraid of sinking anymore,” I said on the way home.

“I was a little bit scared, but then I used my arms to get back up,” said Pamela demonstrating her swimming arms.

“Exactly, and that’s what you will do if you ever find yourself sinking again,” I said.

“I want you to throw me in again next week...”

So, Pamela feels fine about it. I, however, feel guilty. For two reasons: firstly, the gasps of the other mothers made it clear that they disapproved, and secondly, I was never thrown in to the deep end of a swimming pool as a child, but I know that if I had been, I would have hated the parent who did the throwing. But, sometimes you hev to show ur friens what is expected of them, and although I do not expect Pamela to be a perfect swimmer, I do expect her to get into the water each week and to give her best effort.