To Float or To Sink?
The weather today was warm and stuffy and I wished I could jump into a swimming pool to cool off.
Unfortunately, up till now, I can't swim. Rather, I sink better than I float.
When I was young, I could lie at the floor of the swimming pool and stay there for a while, but I can't make myself stay afloat, except with the help of floats. I could "dog paddle" with my head below the water but I would start sinking the moment I brought my head up to the surface. Therefore, my attemps at learning the butterfly stroke and frog-style were total disasters. Before my head could rise up above the water to gulp in fresh air, I would be gulping in big mouthfuls of water.
Years ago, my dad brought us kids to a public pool in the west, and seeing my dad and cousins swimming to the deeper end of the pool, I waded after them. Suddenly, I lost my footing and sunk beneath the waters. In my panic, I flailed my arms about and caught the first thing that I could catch hold of to steady myself. I clung on to that "thing" and pulled myself up to the surface, and I saw a young man glaring down at me fiercely, while pulling up his swimming trunks. I wanted to tell him I didn't see anything when his trunks was down, but he swam away before I could open my mouth. I was very lucky he didn't punch me in the face.
Now, I'm into another type of swimming: "dry swimming". The other name for it is "mahjong". I don't have to worry about pulling at someone's trunks or getting drowned anymore.