I Double Dog Dare You

I am a weenie and a scaredy cat. Yet, water brings out the rebel in me.

My mother takes some water classes but she's constantly reminding me that she is not a swimmer. Because of her fear of water, she made sure I took swim lessons. (I made sure I had a stomach ache whenever necessary.)

I sat in Cocktail Corner yesterday and watched kids go off the diving board. They gang up on each other, whether the child is two-years old or 17-years old. They scream, "Do a cannonball, do a back flip, do a belly flop." They double dog dare each other and I am transported in time.

How many hours did I spend standing on the side of that pool teaching the baby to dive? How many times did he develop a stomach ache before the swim class? I might be a wuss but there's something about that diving board. Before the summer is over, I will dive, flip and flop.

As we had our first pool-side cocktail yesterday, one of my friends said, "Just get it over with." No. I like the anticipation.