“Serving overseas as a small-town boy in America has been intense, stressful and humorous! Enjoy a light-hearted story with me from our last 20 years overseas!”
—Matt , Matt’s Mishaps
Were you traumatized by swim lessons as a kid? My parents for many summers sent me to the local public pool to try to learn to swim. Each summer I’d progress a little, but all the others in my class would advance up to the next level as I lingered behind. Eventually I was in late elementary school and the others in my swim class were now a head or two shorter than me. I was finally allowed to stop classes. I wasn’t “traumatized” by swimming nor the pool, but being the one who stuck out like a sore thumb. I love swimming and pools to this day. However, my wife and sons still think I don’t know how to swim, though I feel like I am Olympic caliber at the doggy paddle and treading water.
Overseas I have trouble going unnoticed at a pool too. One hot day I was with my family at a “sea pool” along the coast. The sea pool had a pump that would draw salty sea water into the pool and then pump it out every once in a while to clean it. We saw a dozen locals standing around the pool, but not getting in. My three sons and I put a foot in the water and it didn’t seem that cold. We thought, “We’ll have to show those wimpy locals how it is done.” We all climbed down the ladder and enjoyed the refreshing water as all the locals watched on. After several minutes, one of my sons got my attention – a jelly fish was floating in the water. We all moved over to another side of the pool and were enjoying ourselves, when we spotted a few more jelly fish. Then our eyes adjusted to how the jelly fish floated about and we saw dozens more in the pool. We all made our way quickly to the ladder and out of the pool.
It is hard to go unnoticed at a pool when you are a fish out of water.
Something similar ever happen to you? Contact me and let me hear your story!
Matt’s Mishaps, PO BOX 114, Grabill, IN 46741
