Swimming in the Ocean, facing my fear.

In mid-April (*April 16th, 2011 post) I wrote a post about dealing with fear. Specifically, the fear of swimming in the ocean and finding that I was not alone...
Well, my wetsuit arrived last Friday, and so Jacquie & I decided that Sunday - Mother's Day - would be the day to head to Aquatic Park in San Francisco.

It was an absolutely gorgeous day. Windy, but still almost-perfect. We immediately found a parking space right across the street from Aquatic Park...a small, but significant gift from God, as anyone who lives in a city knows.

We got out of the car, I liberally applied my "anti-shark" balm

(aka "Glide", to avoid my wetsuit rubbing my skin off!), and then donned my new wetsuit

As I approached the sand, I looked left...
Then right...
And thankfully saw none of these...
Nor did I see any playful sea lions with sharp teeth waiting to welcome me to their watery playland...
*Sea lions are beautiful, but I don'twannaswimwiththem!

I did NOT check the sand for any land sharks. Come on, ya think I'm paranoid or somethin"?!

In addition to unwanted sea creatures, I also feared the cold water. Well, the wetsuit really worked. My body was fine. Ah, but did I tell you the wetsuit didn't cover my face? OH MY GOSH! One of the hardest things about swimming - a part from my lively imagination which never saw sharks or sea lions but kept asking me, "Hey, did you see that stingray?" 

- was how cold my face was. Thankfully, it quickly grew numb and I couldn't feel it anymore

Another fear of mine was swallowing salty sea water and throwing up.

"Excuse me, Mr. Chase. Would you be so kind as to please complete the following questionnaire:

1. Did you swallow any sea water?" Yes, a couple mouthfuls to be sure.

2. "Did you hurl aforesaid sea water?" No, thank God! (*I was too concerned about calling fish - and therefore sharkies - to a feeding freenzy on my barf, which would have been comprized off a tasty In-and-Out cheesburger and fries.)

A part from the cold water, it was a good experience. It is very different swimming with waves and a current...much more difficult than doing laps in a heated pool. Visibility was poor, but I think it was probably better to not see who and what I was swimming with. There were several other people swimming, which was comforting. Well, at least until I got in the water. I was comforted to know they had not been eaten...yet. But, once I started swimming, it was almost impossible to see them. So much for someone coming to my rescue. (*Then again, Jacquie was sitting on the shore, ready to jump in at a moments notice to rescue me. **I wonder how many wives have dreams of saving their husbands? Jacquie rescues me from certain death in her dreams about once a month.)

Here's a shot of my fat, black head - just left of the buoy...taken from my lifeguard wife...
Although there were rumors that something dreadful happened to one of my hands...

that was all just a nasty lie! (*And, an effort to bring a small smile/laugh to your day...)

As you can see, I am all smiles as I come out of the water...
I was so glad I didn't listen to my fears! And not only did I get to enjoy an ocean swim, but Aquatic Park is right across the street from Ghirardelli Square. So, Jacquie & I crossed the street and ordered a nice, plate of fruit....
Neither Jacquie or I knew where the ice cream, toppings, whipped cream & cherry came from, but they were a nice compliment to our fresh fruit platter. We also enjoyed some fabulous views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco Bay...

And images of cable cars that people from around the world travel great distances to see...

And not only that, but we walked past an art gallery that contained the work of an old friend from Spain...

To top it off, a Mother's Day dinner with Gloria & her boyfriend, JB at Uva Enoteca...

And enjoyed some tasty food...

I would recommend it...especially if you can take advantage of their Happy Hour prices on appetizers and glasses of wine. You can Yelp it, or go to www.uvaenoteca.com. They are located at 568 Haight Street.

So, as you can see, not only did I get a chance to enjoy a swim in the ocean & the experience of overcoming one of my fears (*Ya know what? I think I will still have to face my fear the next time I go swimming in the ocean!), I got so much more. And I want that for you, too.

Life is too short to be lived in fear. I want to encourage you to face one of your fears this week. Maybe it has nothing to do with swimming in the ocean. Maybe there is a relationship you are afraid of developing, or a confrontation that needs to take place that you have been avoiding. Maybe you know you need to make changes in your life, but you hate change! Whatever you are facing, I want to encourage you to walk into it. I think you will be glad you did. Let me know how it goes!

Comments

[Paul]

Inspiring post Randy, it is indeed a brave thing to venture out into the open ocean :) And nice pictures too, did I say I *like* your blog? I really do :)

[randy]

thanks, paul, for your encouraging comment. glad you like the blog!

[Heather W]

Randy, Thanks for the post about swimming with sharks and other such scary sea creatures... as my hubby can attest to, I also have an intense fear of anything in the water... especially those creatures with fins and very sharp teeth, who in my dreams just want to eat me because I am Canadian. David and I have been diving, but not without intense therapy first and David promising that he will be the shark bait and get in between any shark and me. I am not yet ready to wander into the deep on my own, but your story is very inspiring!!
Blessings, Heather

[randy]

glad you were encouraged, heather. wow, what a great husband you have...willing to offer his body as shark bait!