The Summer of 2018

It was the Summer of 2018. Succumbing to peer pressure, I was desperately looking for some extracurricular classes for my children. My kids being ten and four, it wasn’t easy to find a common activity. It meant me getting insipidly engaged in the drop, pick, and even watching the little one for the entire hour of any of his class. While they were not showing keen interest in any activity, in the process, I got excited and decided to join swimming myself.

It had been almost 25 years that I was in the pool to swim except for the rare occasions of playing in pools of resorts. I believed I must not have forgotten the basic strokes that I learned years ago.  However, I was aware that my stamina and speed would not be the same. I began with a pool where primarily kids were learning. I wasn’t afraid of drowning, of course, but there was a slight line of fear.

With mixed feelings of enthusiasm and nervousness, I immersed myself into it- the water! For a Piscean like me, nothing could be more invigorating. I immediately felt the gush of happiness running through me. I looked around, several parents outside the pool were watching and guiding their kids. But here I was, inside the pool! While my daughter watching and making videos from outside. Of course, guiding too. How could she leave the one-time opportunity she got?

Parents, mostly mothers, were instructing their children: “Keep your legs straight; Go inside; Leave the rod; Float; Keep trying; Don’t bend your knees; Move your arms like this; Don’t play around; Go swim; Practice”, and so on. It was amusing to know that most of those guiding parents did not know swimming themselves. But the level of involvement they had for their children to learn and excel was heart touching.

After briefly exploring the surroundings on the poolside, I decided to focus on myself. I realized I had to start afresh, even for things which were my forte in swimming. It was time to unlearn and learn it again like a new skill. Water did not scare me, but I feared if I have lost it- the aptitude to learn. I wondered if I would be able to build it again. If I would be able to bring the same zeal into it. I felt slightly apprehensive about what if I fail in front of my kids.

Some of my clients were going through similar challenges in life.

Sudha who approached me after her husband’s death was not only dealing with her loss but also the challenges of getting back to work after 10 years gap. She had been a gold medalist and a high achiever MBA graduate. She once had a good rewarding corporate job of her choice but had chosen to leave for the sake of the family. Now, getting back to work meant competing with those who had continued working and possibly progressed. She feared if she lacked those skills as they were not honed all this while. She also had to brush up her knowledge which meant doing certifications, pieces of training, seminars, and relearn like a fresher. She was anxious if she would be able to do justice to her family and work both. She needed to rediscover herself overcoming all the emotional and mental barriers.

Vijay, another client, wanted to leave his private job and start a theatre group. He wanted to pursue his interest which he had left 20 years ago. His job was financially rewarding, but not fulfilling his passion. Even after ensuring financial security for the family, it was difficult to take the big step. He feared if he won’t be able to prove himself. He wondered if he still possesses the charm, talent, and skills once mastered. He had to relearn them according to contemporary standards. He had to un-condition himself from the social notions of being in a secured job with regular income. He had to reinvent himself to reach his inner happiness.

Like them, I too had to cross all the barriers and start as a free soul. I wanted to enjoy the water but with an aim. I set targets for myself. I was not in competition with anyone. I didn’t want to run the Olympics that I was training myself for. But I wanted to keep challenging goals that would keep me on the toes and motivate me to do better than before every day. I watched videos and read on the net to deconstruct it and self-guided myself along with a professional coach.

My story had a happy ending.

In three months of that summer, I improved my speed and stamina almost 3 times. I could inspire my daughter to be in the water with me. She had been reluctant, assuming that joining swimming classes would necessarily mean preparing for races. She too could overcome that mental barrier and dipped herself in the water. I certainly felt overjoyed exploring the child in me. And top of it, people started asking the secret of my quickly toned look. ?

So, the take away from my Summer of 2018 were:

1. It is never too late to learn new things or skills. “Anyone who keeps learning stays young”- Henry Ford. And, you are never too old to become young.

2. Usual notion is without getting inside the water, you do not learn swimming. However, my discovery was that anyone with pure intent and deep care can be your motivator or coach even without having the expertise of the skill.

3. Swimming particularly gives a lot. The moment you get into the water, you start burning calories. As you learn to float you relax mentally too. If you start making the right strokes, you help your heart and body. While swimming you cannot be easily distracted by your phone, social media, kids, etc.

4. Children can be out of focus, once in a while. They need to learn that they are significant irrespective of being the center of attention.

5. Relearning, Reinventing Recreating yourself is something one must embrace as an integral part of life to keep it interesting, exciting and meaningful.

Lessons became quite relevant during this year. While we all are facing the pandemic, we have to unlearn and rediscover ourselves for better survival.

What has been your story of relearning?