Crazy Church Lady: The Brick Won :((

Still practicing for the lifeguard test. It started out great... I swam my 300 meters, then did a lap on my back pretending to hold the brick. I decided after such great practice last week I was ready to tackle the 10 pound "official diving brick." Let's just say it didn't go so well.

I took a couple deep breaths and began trying to swim on my back using only my legs while I held the 10 pound brick on my chest. I pushed off the wall. I was focused on the ceiling. I did about three or four strokes with my legs and suddenly my goggles became blurry. Then I realized they were blurry because my head was sinking. Then I panicked which made it worse. I regained control and made it back to the edge of the pool. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself and had a mental pep talk. Then, I decided to try again. This time I made it half way down the pool. Yeah! But, not really.

I began to stink again and even worse, this time I was half way down the pool so I was in the deep end and could not touch! I swallowed lots of pool water and thought I was going to drown myself. I made it to the rope on the lap lane beside me and held on for dear life trying to clear the water from my nose, mouth and throat. I thought since I'm half way I will just continue to swim with the brick any way I can swim to the end. Not a good Idea. Started sinking again. Had to regain composure on the rope for the lap lane beside me. I was in the middle of the pool with a 10 pound brick that kept causing me to sink and I couldn't touch the bottom of the pool. This time, I tried swimming on my back again with the brick and at least made it to where I could touch the floor of the pool again. I walked the brick the rest of the way in and set it on the side of the pool. I was not happy. In fact, I was very upset. I got out of the pool, dried off and changed quickly. I cried and coughed up water the entire time. I was so mad at that stinkin' brick! I exited the pool briskly. However, the coach still had time to ask " How did it go today?" DUH... Like he wasn't watching and secretly laughing the entire time. It was obvious I had struggled.

On the way out to the car I was thinking. That brick is a lot like the trials in this life, people carry burdens that must feel like that 10 pound brick. They struggle everyday just to make it to the side of the pool, just to make it through another day.