I learned to swim at the Taunton YMCA. I was about 5 years old. My swim instructor was a retired Marine named Seth. Seth had a pretty simple way of teaching kids to swim: he'd pick you up, then throw you in the pool. From there it was either sink or swim, and you had to make it to the edge of the pool by yourself. Of course he was there to help you out if you got in trouble, but basically you were on your own. At first it was petrifying, but once I got thrown in the water, I found that I could make it to the edge on my own, and I didn't sink, I swam. Whenever I face a difficulty in life, and I'm thrown into a situation and it seems like there's no way out, I remember back to when I was 5 and when it came time to sink or swim, I swam. I'll never forget that swimming lesson; it taught me a lot more than just how to swim, it taught me how to face life's challenges and make it through. Thank you, Seth, wherever you are. I really owe you.
