Murph'bura

I'm westward bound.  Currently, I'm with Luke and Molly, at last meeting their truly remarkable kids.  Most parents think their kids are remarkible, but I Absolutly agree with this case.  It is hard to leave.  They call me Uncle John.  And we have bonfires.  And horses.  And goats that keep getting out of there paddock, so the kids, dogs and I get to keep rounding them up.  Such fun.  And the power went out so we got to light loads of candles and eat icecream (so it wouldn't melt, you know).

 

Today I saw something like nothing I've ever imagined.  (Forgive me if I am simple naive.)  But there is a program that teaches childern, six months and up, how to "not drown"--it isn't swimming; it is a sort of floating.  It is absolutly shocking.  In fact last night when Molly told me about it and started to show me a video clip, I even got sort of scared.  They showed a dog push open a door of the house, and a little toddler walked out behind him, with a ball in his hand.  I knew what was next and didn't want to see it.  He walked over to the pool and then you see his ball fall in the water.  Then you see the toddler fall in after it.

At this point your heart is in your mouth.  It is a terrible thing to witness.

But then, somehow, the little kid this sort of kick and twist and before you knew what had happened he was floating on his back with his face out of the water, gently floating, not crying or flailing. . . he just floated there.  MInutes hasn't.  He'd scream out for attention, then stop.  Crying and screaming make the float more difficult.

Five minutes past.  THe kid just floated.  Then his Dad walked over to him and picked him up gently--and you wouldn't, couldn't believe the smile on the childs face.  It was a miricle.  I so expected to see fear or anger, anything. . . but the smie.  He was proud of himself.  He wasn't at all afraid.

 

And today I went and watched Lucas and Lily do the same thing.  They swim untill they need a breath, then roll on their backs, breath for a few moments, then flip and swim again.  They repeat the process until they reach the edge of the pool.  They theory is that young children don't have the neck strength to lift their heads to breathe.  If they are vertical they sink.  So the practice keeps them in horizontal positions: back up to swim, chest up to breathe and wait.   Amazing.  They practice five days a week for six weeks, counting on muscle memory to serve them in an emergency.

 

Tomorrow I head west to Denver.

--
Jonah Manning
S/V Araby


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