A Perfect Start

It was a clear, mid summer day, in the early month of July. The air was the right temperature for a refreshing swim. I was fortunate enough to have friends in the neighborhood that I could walk over to. The day started like any other day, waking up close to lunch, wolfing down a meal, and heading out the door. Wet grass engulfed my feet as I walked through the backyard. Cutting through houses I made the journey to one of my buddy’s house. Branches crunched when I made my way into the yard, I could hear sounds in the distance. At last, the clear blue pool surround with rocks and seating areas came into view. I made my way in, calling out to everyone that was there. My walking pace turned into a jog as I made my way around the crystal blue water, until I reached the deeper end. Water hit me from all angles as kids jumped into the pool. I climbed onto the diving board. Walking to the end I looked out into the distance, the sun was at its peak shinning it’s brightest. The grips of the diving board lead me to the end. People were shouting and waiting for what I was about to do. I took a bounce to get some momentum, I came back down, I took another to get even more, falling back down the third time my left foot came out. My knees tumbled over the end and my body threw itself head first into the water. Sinking under, I felt a throbbing pain coming from my knees. Underwater I felt as if I was in slow motion, opening my eyes to see the surrounding. My breath was becoming short and I broke back to the surface. Using my arms I picked my self out of the water and examined my knees. Blood gushed, as both kneecaps had been cut open from the diving board. The kids stopped what they were doing and I could feel that all eyes were on me. I made my way to a chair and cleaned my knees off. This once perfect day had turned into one of my biggest nightmares. The water that had seemed so inviting had broken me down. Swimming was put on pause as I rested my knees, but in the back of my mind I knew that one day I would dive back into that pool and feel the rush of water roll through my hair.