One Small Dip for a Man

The rushing sound of water splashed into my ear as my body dunked into the pool. Tiny air bubbles tickled my skin as they ran up to join the surface. Did I jump in too hard? I’m starting to feel sick. Where’s the bottom?! Ah, there it is… I settled myself near the concrete floor of the pool to assure myself it wasn’t bottomless. I hope this is all over soon.

“One!”

Muffled shouts from the sidelines dove in to join me. I could barely hear my friends as they encouraged me on. I can’t believe they agreed to do this for me. It wasn’t even my idea. It was Sasha’s. She was the loudest, clearly the most supportive. A guy like me was lucky to have her as a friend. I was lucky to have any of them.

“Two!”

Only two seconds had passed? This seems like the longest anyone has ever spent underwater. Okay, I know that was a flat-out lie, but I’m kind of freaking out here. Oh, right, you have no idea why this is such a big deal for me. You see-

“Three!”

Right. Three seconds. Thanks, guys! Anyways, I’m kind of...afraid of water. Not just water in general. I can sip a glass of water without having a panic attack, okay? It’s more than that. I’m afraid of large bodies of water, especially being submerged into them. Even a bathtub full of water makes the hair on my arms stand at attention. And embarrassingly, I find it hard to put my face under a running shower-head. The pounding of the water streams makes it hard for me to breathe.

“Four!”

I’m not entirely sure where this fear came from. Maybe it’s because I peeked on my older brother and his friends watching Jaws when I was four-years-old and had nightmares for months...okay, years. Maybe it’s because I almost drowned at a water park when I was seven-years-old when someone much heavier fell on top of me at the tide pool. Maybe when I look really hard at the ocean I just imagine everything and every creature that’s under the surface at that exact moment in time. Maybe it’s all of the above. All I know is I have-

“Five!”

Wonderful. All I know is I have aquaphobia. And this right here--what I’m doing right now--is a big deal for me! I have been training for this moment all my junior year of high school. I was not going to let another summer vacation--and my last one at that--be ruined by my fear of pools and the ocean! Every summer I’m succumbed to seeing my friends and their friends and everyone else in the world enjoy the beach and poolside without wanting to run in the opposite direction!

Why can’t I have that? I’m sick and tired of my friends looking at me like I’m a puppy with one leg as they wade in the pool and I sit myself in a lounge chair under a large umbrella. Oh yeah, I’m also sensitive to the sun. Summers have been a real blast for me.

“Six!”

Six seconds! Wow, I’m honestly surprised with myself. Me getting past five seconds is a triumph in itself. Maybe I can do this! This is my last summer vacation before my senior year. After that, I’ll have adulthood to worry about. College, auto insurance, taxes! Oh wait, I already worry about taxes. Having a job sucks. I can’t wait to quit my job and get a real one.

“Seven!”

Okay, I’m starting to freak out again. This really is the longest ten seconds ever. Right, my goal is ten seconds under the surface of a pool. I really do have to thank Ricky for inviting us over for this nonsense. I can just picture his dad right now staring at us from his office window like we’re a pack of idiots. A group of teens screaming excitedly at an aquaphobic guy in a pool. Truly a sight to behold, I’m sure.

“Eight!!”

They’re getting louder and my heart is pounding even heavier. The change in octave isn’t helping, guys! But I’m almost there! Again, this may seem like such a small thing to someone who has never thought twice about their head being underwater for a mere ten seconds. But this is going to be life changing for me. The confidence this’ll give me… Well, I hope it gives me more confidence. God knows I need some. And Alex… will she find this as big a deal as I do?

“Nine!!!”

This is it. This is the home stretch. Man, my thoughts do go a mile a second, don’t they? I’ve thought of so much in this short amount of time. Is that some sort of superpower? Either way, I can’t wait to hear the cacophony of cheers, whistles, and applause as I inevitably break that surface just a few feet above me. Where will this milestone take me next? Twenty seconds? Thirty seconds? Dunking my whole body under the ocean?

Okay, that thought sent shivers down my spine. I need to be careful or I won’t make it this last second. I’ve come so far. I have to make it. I just have to. For my sake. For my friends’ who have supported me and only laughed a little when they found out just how deep my fear went. A guy like me truly is lucky to have friends like them.

I don’t even wait to hear the next number. I just have to get up to that surface. I stretch my arm up, reaching for the dry heaven. I can’t believe I made it this long, and on my first try! I really deserve something nice after this. Mint chocolate chip ice cream? A movie night? A kiss on the cheek from Alex?

Okay, I’m getting way ahead of myself. But this was something special. This small leap for myself will be something I treasure for the rest of my life. I just know it. This’ll be something I tell my kids to make them chuckle and tell me how lame I used to be. This’ll be something I look back on as a way to remember the first time I took a real chance for myself as I acquire my dream job. Maybe nobody in the world will ever make this as big of a deal as I am making it right now. But one thing’s for sure…

“Ten!!!”

This is going to be the best summer ever.