People have a funny thing about them. We all want everything NOW! We start on a diet, and a day and a half later we're hopping on
scales to see if we've lost anything. We get a new credit card and in one weekend we've got over a $1000 racked up on it. Then we gripe for next 3 years until it's paid off.We also join affiliate programs at two in morning and expect to have built a sizeable residual income by next afternoon. Unfortunately, things don't work that way.
When I was about 8 years old, my parents signed me up for swimming lessons, and I remember well first day of that class. That was day I met, 'The Gash'.
As I stood in shallow end of pool with about 6 other kids in my group, our instructor was showing us how to hold our breath and go under water. With me never having been in a swimming pool much before, however, I wasn't too keen on idea. In fact, I was resisting adamantly.
The instructor patiently tried to help me go under, for a while, and then apparently he'd had enough. Especially since I was encouraging another kid to rebel as well.
That's when 'The Gash' was brought in. He would MAKE us go under water we were told.
As I and my group stood in pool, suddenly a man appeared at edge of pool behind us and glared down from high above. He was tall, dark, and missing a HUGE chunk of flesh on front of his left leg. To a bunch of 8 year old kids, he was a formidable sight. The fear I felt in his presence manifested itself in form of rippling waves spreading out from my trembling body.
We all speculated as to what had torn a hole in 'The Gash's' leg as he and our instructor stood talking together. Since he was a swimming instructor, naturally speculation centered around water.
"I think he was bit by a shark!" one boy suggested.
"Or a sea snake!" offered another, "Or a sea monster like one in Loch Ness!"
"That's not it," another boy broke in. "I know what happened cause my dad was there. He jumped off BIG high dive at downtown pool and missed! His leg hit side of pool on way down and tore a hole in his leg! My dad said there was blood everywhere! People thought he was dead!"
The speculation ended suddenly, however, as 'The Gash' turned and spoke to us.
"Everyone is going under water today," Then turning back to our instructor he said, "Let's take them to deep end."
I followed silently in fear as we were all marched to other end of pool and lined up at side of diving board. One by one, kids from my group were herded to edge of pool by one adult and then 'helped' to jump off edge into arms another. The kids were being allowed to land fully in water, but then helped to stay afloat and swam over back to side of pool.
'The Gash' stood menacingly by watching over entire event. That is until it was my turn. As I reluctantly made my way to end of cement, I noticed 'The Gash' slip silently into pool below me.
"I'll catch this one," he said coldly to other adult. I looked over in fear at other kids who had gone before me. The look of horror I had on my face was mirrored back to me in their eyes as each thought to themselves how happy they were that it wasn't them up there.
Realizing my fate was sealed, I prepared to jump. However, in that final moment, I had a brilliant idea come to mind. I jumped with all my might and dove directly in front of other man who had caught all others and was still in water next to 'The Gash'.
