Learning To Swim

I regard swimming as an important life skill that one is supposed to possess. Although for most people, it is a very difficult task originating from living far from water bodies or not having access to a pool.

Despite my belief in the importance of swimming, I don't know how to swim which saddens me anytime I remember it.
My first access to a water body is the stream in my village but somehow I have not had a consistent access to this stream owing to the short frequency of our visits to the village, parental hindrances and lack of good teachers to put me through.

The only times I got to go to the stream are when we really needed to fetch water from there and this is very rare because of the numerous alternatives which we prefer because the stream is quite far. And also, if the need for water arises, there is no time to go to the stream and start swimming.

On few occasions, I have gone to the stream for the sole purpose of learning how to swim but unfortunately, those who know how to swim in the village are either not very good teachers or I am a bad student of swimming, I don't know which is the case but despite being taught by about two or three of them, my improvement is marginal.

Most times when I dive in, I stay as long as I can under the water while pedalling with all my might, but to my greatest shock, when I finally resurface I have either not moved significantly or I have only moved a little. This is quite disheartening and discouraging.

Another factor which I attribute my difficulties to is this, when I go to the stream during the Christmas, the next time I will go is another Christmas so there is no consistency and learning is inhibited. Consistency is required in any learning process including learning how to swim.

Learning how to swim occupies a good position on my bucket list and I plan to pay for swimming lessons when I get the chance, I will also try to be consistent with it till I become very good in the art. This is to tell you how important I feel it is.
When I see people who enter the water, disappear and reappear in a distant part of it, I become jealous of the skill.

Apart from the fun aspect of swimming, it could be a life saver too both for self and for others. Hence why I believe it is very important to possess the skill.

A lot of people have been lucky to prevent drowning because they could swim while others have been lucky to have a good swimmer around in the moment of their need. Some people on the other hand were unlucky to not know how to swim and also not have an experienced swimmer around them and this resulted in their demise..