where boys fear to tread.

a couple weeks ago, janelle had her bridal shower where they played all sort of girlie games and did girlie things and such... there was this one game where she was asked all these questions about me (that i had given her sister the answers to earlier) to see how well she knew me... she did pretty well (since i'm not one of favorites... i mean what mere mortal can choose which is a better movie, Robocop or The Crow... that's like asking me which kid i like better)... anyways, one of the questions was "What does Alex fear?"... i figure i'd indulge myself and see what it is i fear...

The answer i gave janelle's sister was "water"... i don't mean like tap water, or toilet water... i mean, being in deep water (let it be in the middle of a lake, pool, or puddle)... if i'm in water that's higher than my shoulders (i'm about 6'1" fyi) i start to panic... i start essentially hyperventilating... even if i don't drown from the intake of water, i'll drown from the air...

I have to give a big ol' thanks to the Y for instilling this fear into me... it was all caused from my near-death (well, maybe not near-death, but it sounds better) swimming hour... i remember flailing about, kicking, and trying to scream for help, only to have my cries drowned out from the water in my mouth... Luckily, i was able to panic-paddle myself back towards the shallow end but that swimming lesson left me with what i have now...

Over the years probably until the 7th grade, i was afraid to go underwater whenever i went swimming... all my friends in PA had a pool which was always a blast, as long as i stayed above the water... i wore those water wings (mine were orange, and don't diss them till you've tried them... hell, i'd wear them now) for a good while, until i finally convinced myself i was tall enough to stand in the pool... I then had to fake a three year long case of "swimmer's ear" and ear-infections every summer... this would perturb anyone from making me go underwater... i think they all bought it for the first year or so, but after three years of this, i think they started calling shenanigans...

So do i go underwater now? Yes. How did i overcome it? a fuckin' girl asked me to try and so i did (without my hawwwt water wings too)... Will i ever do it again? Only if you're a girl.