When I was a child, my father would take us swimming at the Brighton Beach Baths. Although I have a lot of happy memories of going to the baths, I also have memories that are tinged with fear.
The baths extended into the bay and provided a safe environment for families to swim and dive. There was a high platform built all the way around the perimeter of the baths, from which there were diving boards and lower platforms with diving boards.
My father was trying to teach us to dive. When I stood at the edge and looked down, I was frightened. He would encourage me to dive but I was reluctant, being unable to find the courage to dive. I was frozen.
All kinds of fears would come into my mind, which might have continued and resulted in me never diving off the high platform if my father had not found the key to motivate me to take the first step (or should I say, dive).
Once I did it, I no longer feared it, and was then free to repeat it over and over. I’m not a natural swimmer or diver, but letting go of my fear allowed me to enjoy the water, in a safe environment.
Had I remained frozen and continued to build the fear in my head, my fear could have developed into something more complex and I may never have experienced the fun we had jumping and diving into the water in the baths.