OUT OF HARM'S WAY
Out of Harm's Way
There we were fifty 10-year-old boys in the Minnesota mid-
winter cold, packed on a school bus headed for the downtown YMCA to go swimming.
I can still sense the excitement, the “can hardly wait” anticipation. These were the days
of owning the world.
We soon arrived at the YMCA. Out of the bus, we ran through the cold, keeping
up with each other’s speed, into the sounds and wet warmth of the building. We could
smell the pool. We could hear it echo to us as we tore off our parkas, our boots, shirts
and pants.
I can still feel it. The event we had been waiting for, since Mrs. Elmquist an-
nounced it, five weeks ago. All there was to do now was run. And run we did. We actu-
ally flew into the water. I guess we never heard the commands to slow down, to wait for
the teacher in charge, or to walk around to the other end of the pool where the depth
was a reasonable three feet.
I couldn’t swim and was instantly under the heaviness of water at the deep end of
the pool. I knew I was drowning. I had heard that one would surface three times. After
the third gasp above water, down I would go, never to surface again.
Boy, was I scared. I surfaced for the first time. It was bright and noisy. I thought
of yelling for help, but could not. Something inside stopped me. I sank again and resur-
faced. Once more I thought it wise to yell “HELP”, but could not. They also say that on
the third time under, you will see your life pass before your eyes and indeed I felt like
mine did. My short life, only 10 years old, did not take long to pass. It didn’t have too
much to say. I committed to yell for help, on this the third rising.
All of the sudden, I felt a curved hooking devise around my belly, lifting me clear
out of the water and very gently placing me on the side of the pool. I never had a
chance to meet my resolve and to finally ask for help. Still now, after 45 years of life,
I have needed the help of others often and asked for it seldom.
And yet I know that the hand of God surely curves around
me, holds me strongly,and gently and places me on the
side, out of harm's way.
There we were fifty 10-year-old boys in the Minnesota mid-
winter cold, packed on a school bus headed for the downtown YMCA to go swimming.
I can still sense the excitement, the “can hardly wait” anticipation. These were the days
of owning the world.
We soon arrived at the YMCA. Out of the bus, we ran through the cold, keeping
up with each other’s speed, into the sounds and wet warmth of the building. We could
smell the pool. We could hear it echo to us as we tore off our parkas, our boots, shirts
and pants.
I can still feel it. The event we had been waiting for, since Mrs. Elmquist an-
nounced it, five weeks ago. All there was to do now was run. And run we did. We actu-
ally flew into the water. I guess we never heard the commands to slow down, to wait for
the teacher in charge, or to walk around to the other end of the pool where the depth
was a reasonable three feet.
I couldn’t swim and was instantly under the heaviness of water at the deep end of
the pool. I knew I was drowning. I had heard that one would surface three times. After
the third gasp above water, down I would go, never to surface again.
Boy, was I scared. I surfaced for the first time. It was bright and noisy. I thought
of yelling for help, but could not. Something inside stopped me. I sank again and resur-
faced. Once more I thought it wise to yell “HELP”, but could not. They also say that on
the third time under, you will see your life pass before your eyes and indeed I felt like
mine did. My short life, only 10 years old, did not take long to pass. It didn’t have too
much to say. I committed to yell for help, on this the third rising.
All of the sudden, I felt a curved hooking devise around my belly, lifting me clear
out of the water and very gently placing me on the side of the pool. I never had a
chance to meet my resolve and to finally ask for help. Still now, after 45 years of life,
I have needed the help of others often and asked for it seldom.
And yet I know that the hand of God surely curves around
me, holds me strongly,and gently and places me on the
side, out of harm's way.
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