Sink or Sink

“Since 60 percent of my body is water, I really only you need you to teach 40 percent of me to swim.”

My new swim coach looks at me like I’m crazy. But my shocking statement is quickly forgotten when she seems my even more shocking free stroke. I’m sort of like the Titanic in the water: Big, capsizing, disoriented, and sinking.

She has all these goals for me. Kick your feet, drop your shoulder on the stroke, count to three and then breathe. My goals are less complicated: don’t drown, stop drinking water, don’t die.

I must have ingested about a half-gallon of chlorine and water. I was frustrated but then realized with all that water I was swallowing, only 30 percent of me had to swim.