Practice makes perfect

LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

Roger D. Sinot

ASIN, Tuba – As a lifeguard, watching over the guests while swimming, one can surely tell when a guest knows how to swim or not. An expected duty is to be a keen observer. Anticipate untoward incidents and avoid accidents in the pool area.

For many years now, watching swimmers in the pool in a deeper sense is a sad sight when someone is hurt or someone drowns. Work is easier if only all the guests know how to swim.

There are times when non-swimmers can be known. The presence of fear is felt by the swimmers. In reality, the non-swimmer avoids going to the pool. As a watcher, one can see on their faces the fear of water. Just merely going near the pool side is "no way" to a non-swimmer. It is also seen on their facial expressions.

I saw young men and women, not only children, "accidentally" pushed to the water or in the pool. It is only then that they realize that dipping in the pool is a no worry thing. As a result, fear is defeated. This incident is too familiar to many. It illustrates just one point. "They have overcome fear!" Postponement, indecision on the other side fertilizes fear. So, while in Asin, learn how to swim.

On a boat crossing a river, a Preacher said to the boatman paddling, "Hey, Mr. Boatman, did you accept Jesus Christ as your personal saviour?" The boatman replied, "no Mr. Preacher. What is that to me?" Then the Preacher continued, ".... then you lost half of your life!"

While they were on the deepest middle part of the river, the boatman asked the Preacher, "Hey Mr. Preacher, do you know how to swim?" the Preacher replied, "No, and what is that to me?" the Boatman continued, ".....then Mr. Preacher, you lost the whole of your life!" The Boatman pointed his finger to a leak on hole at the flooring of their boat. So, regardless of what we believe in, one ought to know how to swim just to save his very own life.

We should overcome fear. Fear should not be a blockade for us to avoid the water. Only then can we say that "we can win self-confidence". Our dreams are very much like a bank, everyday one makes thoughts deposited in his "mindbank". 

These thought deposits grow and become his memory. When we settle down to think or when we face a problem and fear comes to our minds, in effect, we say to our memory bank, "What do I really know about this?" Our memory bank automatically answers and supplies us with bits of information relating to the situation that we have deposited in previous occasions. Our memory then is the basic supplier of raw material for our new thoughts, according to a book on the magic of thinking big. Recall how you failed and aimed to do better. Recall what your sixth grade teacher told you about your inability to accomplish things. How this challenged you to do better. Recall when you were pushed to the water and struggled towards one end of the pool or the river. How you overcame the feeling of fear.

Renzer and Zember are brothers who are six and first graders, respectively, at Batuan Elementary School. They had won in the recent Benguet sports meet as Tuba's pride in swimming. Indeed, practice makes perfect. As a result, once again Renzer at the age of 12 had brought home five golds and two silvers. His younger brother Zember, now seven years old and in grade one, garnered three silver awards, competing in line, together with grade six swimmers.

Cheering on the side is their father Cesar Mostales who was shouting, "Hey silver.......away!" – an expression Lone ranger usually shouts when he starts to run his horse. His horse is named Silver, a TV series in the 70's seen during our younger days.

March Fianza, the “Ivadoy” Columnist, wrote in the same month last year on Renzer for being a Tuba kid who overcame his asthma by swimming. Now they are two, Renzer and his younger brother Zember. Their father Cesar Mostales, the trainer and coach is on his second year as a lifeguard of Asin Hot Spring which I hold and operate. These kids not only overcame asthma but are the resorts pride. It is a great opportunity that tested their swimming skills and now are Tuba’s pride, even while the teachers for any reason, almost did not bother to give them the break they needed.

They practice on their own, do exercises for swimming daily after their classes in preparation for the coming Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association (CARAA) meet next year to be held in Baguio. To them, this will be a great challenge and greater arena for them to look forward to. Indeed, it would be an challenge and experience.

To all athletes, swimmers out there, Happy trails to all this Yuletide season.