Drowning or How I Learned to Swim

Growing up I was a timid child. It may have had something to do with having a lot of older brothers. I remember that for a couple of years we lived in a subdivision close to a lake. In the summer we would often go swimming at the public beach there. I was probably 8 years old and didn't yet know how to swim. It was a bit humiliating because even my younger brothers were already playing in the deep water off the end of the dock. I remember watching them play as I played by myself, jumping off the dock again and again into the water where I knew I could touch the bottom.

In the end I had to confront my fear of the deep water, but not by choice. I jumped into the water again for probably the thousandth time. I fully intended to jump into the shallow water, but somehow I misjudged and ended up in water that was above my head. I began to panic because I didn't know how to swim. I came up for air and tried to call for help . .. once, twice, three times. Each time I swallowed more water. I soon realized that no one could see or hear me and that I was about to drown.

I went under again and inside me a commanding voice said "SWIM!". I immediately began to swim under the water and didn't stop until I was laying on my back on the beach.