LJ Idol Season 11: I'm the Usain Bolt of Running From My Problems

[xlovebecomesher]

I stood there on the high dive shivering with knees knocking. Everyone made it look so easy. You just point and raise your arms above your head together, bend over, and go off the diving board. Even the little kids younger than me could do this

Comments

[encrefloue]

Those evolutionary fears that guide our self-preservation are so hard to crack! I do think there is value in facing one's fears, but I don't think that it should be seen as necessary that we conquer every single one. So lovely that you won't scare your son away from diving!

[xlovebecomesher]

Very true that it's hard to crack fears that guide self-preservation!

[lyssa027]

I will teach Squishy how to dive ;)

[xlovebecomesher]

Yay! :)

[rayaso]

I'm sorry you haven't yet conquered your fear, but I'm glad you are determined not to pass it on to your son. I remember once as a child meaning to do a shallow dive at the shallow end of the pool, hitting my head, but fortunately only black out for a second or two. You did such a great job with this prompt, looking back at your own life.

[xlovebecomesher]

Reading your experience, I can hear my mom in my head going "See I told you it could happen!" I'm glad you were okay!

[adoptedwriter]

I can totally relate! I was so afraid of swimming, diving, and many other things as a kid. It's why I also was terrified of driving until I was 18 and just made myself in order to save face. Hugs

[xlovebecomesher]

*hugs* I'm glad you were able to face your fear of driving!

[halfshellvenus]

I had this same problem with diving, and I don't really know why. I could dive off the edge of the pool, even off the short diving board, but the higher board stymied me. Maybe because my depth perspection wasn't very good, and I always had to swim & dive without my glasses? That fear of hitting the bottom of the pool was real for me too, maybe because it was also a real possibility. :O

That lifelong fear of putting my face in the water hasn't gone away, either. Still a phobia. My dad had it, too.

We made sure our kids had simming lessons, partly for the same reasons you want that for your son. They're both strong swimmers, and neither is afraid of the water, so it worked out well!

[xlovebecomesher]

I think part of it too for me like you is that I have to swim and dive without my glasses and being nearsighted while swimming is not a great combo!

My mother in law also has the fear of swimming and putting her face in the water and my father in law made sure that Jon and his brothers learned to swim and not acquire her fear. I'm glad your kids don't have that fear of the water either!

[halfshellvenus]

I actually _never knew_ that my Dad had that phobia until I was an adult. I just knew that he didn't seem to enjoy going swimming, like everyone else.

I also didn't find out until after I was about 25 that he had a phobia about needles in veins (IVs and blood draws), which I also have.

Which just goes to show that some of these phobias seem to come down in the RNA or something. They don't even need active encouragement or triggers! They show up on their own. :O

[xlovebecomesher]

That makes sense you could acquire triggers genetically. I know I've acquired many of my fears from both of my parents but that's from observing them (my dad is the one with the fear of ladders). But my half sister and I were not raised together yet we have very similar anxieties and phobias for two people who didn't grow up together and didn't become close til we were adults.