As more time goes on, and things keep happening, we see more and more reasons for everyone to learn how to swim. At this point, if you’re an adult and you don’t know how to swim, then you’re basically putting your own life and the lives of people entrusted to your care at risk. Because this is not a case of slipping into the water one toe at a time, that’s not how it works. Instead, you should be ready at a moment's notice to let go of everything you’re with and jump right into the water, no matter how turbulent it is.
You never know when such a skill would come in handy. Someone can slip and fall into the pool, and you’d be the only one close enough to rescue them. A child can fall into the water, and you’d have to jump right into the deep end. If you can’t swim, you’re most likely dooming your own life and also any likelihood the child had of being saved.
Gone were the days when people had to go out there to look for large bodies of water. You actually had to leave the comfort of your home to go to a pool. For many of us, the only time we could swim was when we went to hotels and clubs, which had pools. It was always fun! And other times, we went to the beach, a lake, or a river that was in our area. Either way, it was up to us to get ourselves to where the water was. And for the rich, they brought the water right into their own backyard, in the form of pools.
But sadly, all that is changing today. The weather is just so confused, and it's messing everything up. While countries in the West are battling with the intense heat, we over here are dealing with increased rain and thus, increased flooding. But then, I have to be honest, all our problems aren’t just acts of God, because we also have poor drainage systems and a culture that, for some reason, lacks the proper ways to dispose of trash. These things have accumulated, and over time, they make life miserable for residents during the peak of the rainy season.
And today, you could go to bed in your bedroom and wake up in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Not the ocean you know about, but the fact that your house has been submerged in water, almost engulfing you. When you try to get outside, you see that the flood has overtaken your neighborhood. Cars are floating like they’re made of wood; you can only see roofs because the buildings themselves have been submerged. Millions and billions are going down in the flood, and this happens every year.
And so, in the Nigeria of today, you no longer have to leave your home to go swimming. The water can come meet you right in your bedroom, and whether you can swim or not, you’ll find yourself inside it. You’d have to protect your partner and your kids. There won’t be time to panic or be scared; you can only think and resolve the glaring issue you’re submerged in.
It’s scary, I know, but at this point, we don’t have a choice. Because your swimming skills might be the difference between life and death. If not for you, then for someone else who was fortunate or unfortunate enough to be close to you when the terrible thing happened.
Well, it is what it is. Even I am not really a skilled swimmer, and I don’t know if I’d be able to save someone who was at the bottom of a deep pool, much less of a flowing flood with strong and powerful waves.
I don’t know. But the least I can do is get ready, right?
Watch My Engaging Stories on:
Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.
