Monday, September 17, 2012

Anyone Know How To Dog Paddle?





All my life I've wanted to learn how to swim.  I'm drawn to the ocean...to the call of the seagulls and the song of the whales.  When I retire I want to move to the coast of Maine and spend my golden years living like Angela Lansbury in Murder She Wrote...without the murders, of course!

You would think someone who is so mesmerized by the water would know how to swim in it.  Unfortunately no, although it isn't for my not wishing otherwise.  When I was seventeen, I visited my Naval officer brother who thought it would be amusing to take me out to the Pacific Ocean at Coronado Beach and dump me in the water  That would have been okay if I knew how to swim, but I didn't and I came close to drowning before he and his navy buddies drug me back to shore.

Needless to say, I now have an irrational fear of the water which wars with my fascination and deep love of anything nautical.  But since returning to my writing, I have begun to wonder if maybe I should try to learn how to swim?  I mean there is always that saying about waiting for one's ship to come in but at the rate I'm going with my writing...maybe I need do like this guy and to learn how to swim out to it!















13 comments:

  1. I do live on the coast of Maine, Donna-well kind of. I'm 20 miles inland. I love it. Almost any time I head out the door, I go to the coast- shopping, playing. It's funny, swimming is the least thing I do there though I love to-I'm obsessed with sea glass, lighthouses, kayaking, walking. But, you should learn to swim, for you. Maybe someday, you'll live on the coast and maybe you won't, but you'll keep dreaming and you'll know how to swim. Good luck!

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    1. Hi Mona! I'm envious of how close you are to the sea! Oh, how I miss it so!

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  2. Don't start out in the ocean. Sign up for a few lessons at the Y. Most places have classes specifically for people who are fearful. You can totally do this!!

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    1. Hi Genevieve! My ex-husband tried to help but it didn't happen. My best friend was going to try and help me but if I can't trust HIM, I doubt I would trust anyone at the Y I don't even know...lol...maybe some day...

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  3. Aw, Donna. I'm with Mona. Come on up to Maine. It's a great place to live. My roots are planted firmly in central Maine, about an hour or so from the coast. I'm not much for swimming the ocean (Brrr...), but I love walking on the beaches and gazing out into the unknown.

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    1. Awww, Sheri...maybe one day I will be able to save up the money and visit there...until then I can but dream...

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  4. Oh, Maine...what a lovely dream! You should totally do it! I'm a beach girl too, love it, miss it every day. But you can definitely learn to swim, take some lessons, and when you get yourself to your lovely house in Maine, you'll be a fish in the ocean.

    Thanks for stopping by my place, so nice to have "met" you!

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    1. Hi Colene and welcome to my blog! I agree, it's a lovely dream and hopefully one day I will visit...maybe move there...;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  5. I also love Maine. I love the smell of the sea air. Unfortunately, when I lived there briefly it was winter. All I saw was snow. But I loved that, too.
    I lived in northern California and that's where I was at the beach almost every day. The smell of the sea air was just as enticing. It was breezy and the sand was black and white.
    I've been in your study...it also looks and smells "sea-sidey". You can write in there while you wait to move to Maine.

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    1. Hi Janet! Yeah, I remember you telling me of the army of little snowmen you built leading to the forest in your back yard. I don't remember ever seeing any picture evidence though...;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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    2. I have one picture of me building the snowmen. I will show it to you (again). The snow was powder, so the snowmen were very small.And they were actually advancing toward the house.
      Get back in that study and dream of the seaside.

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  6. Great post! I'm not a real good swimmer either although I LOVE the beach!

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    1. Hi Erik! I'm glad you know how to swim...it's like TaeKwonDo...the more you practice, the better you will become...;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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