"If I Can Help Somebody"

It just makes me wince. I know there is nothing inherently wrong with this song, it's just too pat. I really do have to figure out why this bugs me so much, since it's a sentiment that I can wholey endorse. Moving on.

My daughter is in swim lessons again this year, and again she's doing very well with it. I always felt like such a physical coward growing up, and I applaud all the ways in which she is not. She's already jumped into the twelve feet this year, although that was with my husband, I never would have thought of suggesting that to her at this stage myself.

I wasn't afraid of swimming, at least; in fact, that's one of the things I did fairly well in, going 'all the way': I eventually taught swimming myself, very happily. But in general I was afraid to take risks: crossing railroad bridges, riding high strung horses, riding a bike. I suppose that's not so bad, though. I *did* cross that bridge (which was covered with Gypsy Moth caterpillars), albeit very slowly, and bent down very low. I did get on that horse, and the swing of the other horse's head did, then, break my nose. I finally learned to ride a bike at the age of twelve, and wiping out rather dramatically did not stop me from getting on a bike later in college. Even if I never became an all-out screaming-down-the-rocky-trail mountain biker, I did do some trail riding on my bike, and I liked it tremendously. I could be worse. Maybe there's hope even for me.