First, let me tell you about willpower and how I found out that it can make me try out things I'm scared of doing. The photo below is a screen capture from last month, when I first made an attempt to swim. It's not the real thing--meaning, I fake-swam for about 5 seconds. But before this, I didn't know I'll be able to do it on my own. This was actually the first time I opened my eyes underwater without goggles or a snorkeling mask. My only motivation was the underwater camera rolling in front of me. Sure, you can call it vanity, but it was a good motivation.
Fast forward to when my friends were already trying to teach me how to do it properly and without the camera, I could no longer do it. I freaked out every time they pulled me to the deeper part of the sea. Consequently, I choked on a lot of seawater, got feet and leg cramps, and cried in frustration until I decided to stop the craziness.
As I mentioned on my recent Facebook post, my parents didn't really want to teach me how to swim, even if we live in a city surrounded by pretty white sand beaches. They were afraid that I might drown. The same thing applied to riding a bicycle. I had to learn it from other people during that high school trip to Baguio, away from parent supervision. (Imagine the level of convincing I had to do before they let me study college in Metro Manila! I love them for believing I can survive on my own.)
So hello there, I'm Jennever, 26 years old and a Palaweña who can't swim. Will anyone care to teach me please?
Fast forward to when my friends were already trying to teach me how to do it properly and without the camera, I could no longer do it. I freaked out every time they pulled me to the deeper part of the sea. Consequently, I choked on a lot of seawater, got feet and leg cramps, and cried in frustration until I decided to stop the craziness.
As I mentioned on my recent Facebook post, my parents didn't really want to teach me how to swim, even if we live in a city surrounded by pretty white sand beaches. They were afraid that I might drown. The same thing applied to riding a bicycle. I had to learn it from other people during that high school trip to Baguio, away from parent supervision. (Imagine the level of convincing I had to do before they let me study college in Metro Manila! I love them for believing I can survive on my own.)
So hello there, I'm Jennever, 26 years old and a Palaweña who can't swim. Will anyone care to teach me please?
