PSA

I have seen a few references to it, and maybe you've already seen it too, but there is an interesting article called Drowning Doesn't Look Like Drowning that I wanted to share here.
 
As the title implies, the article is about how to recognize drowning and how, when someone is drowning, it doesn't look like we're used to seeing it in the movies. People don't thrash around and call for help. This was particularly interesting to me because I had a scary brush with drowning when I was a kid. To preface, my grandparents had a pool and we used to go swimming there whenever we could. When I was maybe five years old, my grandma took me in the pool and was holding me. The pool had a shallow end and a deep end, and all around the deeper portion of the pool, there was a three-foot deep ledge that had a slippery, steep decline. We sort of walked around the ledge while she held me and kept saying things like, "Look, you're swimming!" What my five-year-old brain didn't realize was that I wasn't swimming.
 
I don't remember the exact details of whether when I came close to drowning was later that day or a different day or what, but I remember that I had my swimsuit on, and I feel like only my grandma and Uncle Howard were there. I recall my grandma went inside and my uncle was dozing in a lawn chair. I wanted to show off for my uncle that I had learned to swim, so I remember saying something like, "Uncle Howie, watch me swim!" And then I stepped down the ladder, into the pool, started moving my arms, and then before I knew it, my head was underwater and I felt as if I couldn't move. I don't know how long I was under there—I doubt it was long at all—but I remember my eyes were open and my head was pointed up toward the sky. I also remember feeling pretty pissed that I didn't actually know how to swim, and very scared. I then remember seeing a blurry figure look over the edge of the pool, and then my uncle grabbed me and pulled me out. It's one of those moments of my life that I will forget about for a while and then remember and play it over and over. My uncle will recount seeing my "big, blue eyes" looking at him from under the water and laugh, but it freaks me out! I always wondered why I didn't thrash around or try to call for help, but after reading this article, I understand that, physiologically, I did exactly what people do when they drown.
 
I thought this article was very interesting and an excellent reminder, particularly for the time of year and the kind of weather we've been having. If I were to add one more thing, regarding children, I would just stress that when you "swim" with them and they don't yet know now to swim, do not ever imply that they are actually swimming. Put some fear in those children! (Kidding, mostly.)
 
After recounting this, I think I know why I don't like swimming that much. I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that swimming requires wearing a bathing suit in front of people...
 
Take care, peoples.
 
Fran