Take for Granted

There are days when you like work, and days when you just don't want to go in, even the promise of money is not enough to inspire you. This is completely normal, in fact it’s rare that a person actually like their job. I am one of those weird people.

I really enjoy my job. I get to meet some interesting people, kids are absolutely hilarious when they aren’t being incredibly annoying, and teaching swimming is a great thing to do, for yourself and others. It a lifesaving skill, a life lesson that people to remember and take with them for the rest of their lives.

People who start swimming lessons early in their lives take for granted the importance of such a skill. Over the last few months in Australia there have been an insane number of drownings. All accidental but all preventable with just a little education and awareness. Water is fun, but also dangerous.

We have recently had a Water Safety week a work where we try to teach the children all the skills to stay safe around water. What to do if you need help, what not to do around water and stressing the importance of life saving skills such as treading water, floating etc. For the teacher in the water (me) this is a super stressful week because the kids love it as the activities are fun and different from their regular lesson plans. Me as the teacher needs to maintain the balance between fun and education, unfortunately. It is difficult to keep the kid’s attention long enough to tell them one thing, then do a quick activity and keep talking and imparting wisdom.

To summarize, for such an important week, it's a lot of work, mentally and physically.

But I also teach adult classes, and it becomes obvious when the adults started to swim by their levels of fear in the water. I was trying to teach a fifty year old man how to simply walk in water and enter and exit safely. Basic skills so that he could one day take his children swimming and supervise them from in the water instead of watching from the sidelines. He told me that he always watched his wife swim with the children and that it was time he took on that responsibility. He was incredibly brave in stepping up and making the life changing decision to learn this important skill, furthering himself and hopefully, creating a new loving bond with his children.

It’s hard to imagine what goes on inside his head when he is in the pool with me. How terrified he is, but I can tell you that his determination to achieve his goal is impressive and inspiring.

It is for people like him that I am always trying to learn more and impart my knowledge on others, to help them better themselves, and to ultimately, hopefully, save a few lives. Every time a new child can float or achieve anything in the water, it is to be celebrated. That skill might save them one day.

And that is why I try to stay positive and greet every baby, child, or adult, with the same level of enthusiasm and determination.

I can never truly know the impact I might have on their lives, but I would like to think it is a valuable one.