I stood with my toes curled over the side of the boat, my
knees knocking. Everywhere I looked I
saw only water and sky. "What do I think I am trying to do?" I
thought. "I won't even let the water from the shower splash on my face! I
hated swimming lessons. How could I possibly think of jumping into the ocean? I
can't do this!" I stared down at the rolling waves and argued with myself.
No. Yes. No. Well, maybe.
My
husband reached up from the water below; the instructor on the boat deck patted
my shoulder. "Go ahead," he said. "You'll be just fine. It's
safe here." I adjusted my life jacket and snorkeling gear, took a deep
breath and jumped. Bright blue and yellow fish greeted me.
When I hit the water I wanted to
shout, "I did it! I did it!" (However, I refrained, since I didn't
want to lose the mouthpiece that kept me breathing during this snorkeling
adventure!)
I grabbed Richard’s arm with one
hand and motioned with the other hand toward the large schools of swiftly
moving fish. Through our goggles we saw multi-colored sea creatures and tall
grass-like kelp swaying back and forth with each wave. My husband and I swam
around in circles exploring the awesome sights of God's underwater world.
My irrational fear almost prevented
me from enjoying this exciting activity with my friends. At first I felt
afraid, because I was trying to do something I’d never done before. When I jumped
past my fear I felt brave.
Autobiographical
Incident
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