Just got back from the doctor, been wheezing while breathing, so thoughts of “Asthma!!!!” started banging around in my head. The thought of me developing “Asthma!!!!!” scares me, because it could end my career underwater, and then I’d really be a grumpy mofo! Turns out it’s simply an add-on to my seasonal allergies…or so says the Doc.
Anyways, started teaching 3 private students this past weekend, Saturday and Sunday we did classroom and pool, everyone did great. This weekend we’re doing one dive at Redondo (I know, EVERYONE seems to hate beach diving, especially at Redondo, but I love it, plus I think it’s good for students to get a taste of what it’s like) and Sunday we’re going to Catalina, where I’ll also be meeting up with my friends, the Maezumi sisters, Kyrie and Yoshi! I taught Kyrie how to dive, and Yoshi is my dive buddy who stars in my video “Yoshi and the Sea Lion” (I posted in an earlier post). I haven’t had a chance to dive with either one of them in ages, so I’m really looking forward to seeing, and diving, with them!
After the pool session on Sunday, I stopped by my LDS to get some new dive booties, and while there, Joe, the sales clerk that was helping me out, asked me what I had been up to, so I told him I had just spent the day in a pool teaching. He answered with, “Oh, bummer, must really suck when you have to teach and be in a pool when you can be diving in the ocean, huh?” I paused as I looked at him and answered honestly, that I actually enjoyed teaching, love introducing people to my underwater world, and that I’m happy whether I’m in 100′ of water, or 6′ of water, what it boils down to, is that I’m UNDERWATER!!!! and that’s what makes me happy. I’ve hovered above the deck of a 5′ deep pool before for an hour, not doing any skills, not moving, just hanging there, listening to my breathing, watching the bubbles squeeze through the water, feeling the water holding me in suspension, and I’ve been happy. Though I love seeing fish, playing with the sea lions, swimming through incredibly clear and warm waters, the thing I’m in love with is simply being underwater, that’s all…
Tags: being underwater, scuba, underwater
September 25, 2008 at 6:13 am |
[...] Original post by Wandering Waterman [...]
September 29, 2008 at 7:14 pm |
you know, Reuben, this post is why we liked you so much as our DI. It’s so enriching learning from people who actually love what they do. And, let’s be honest, people loving what they do is hard to find these days.
Also, I understand wanting to be underwater all the time. I’ve been that way my whole life.
I remember your little pep talk in the pool (when I had a controlled freak out) and you said that I used to breath underwater for the 1st 9 months of my existence, in the womb, and that just given time/calm, my mind would hearken back to it. (though, i’m pretty sure i didn’t have a mask in the womb) …Maybe the love of underwater finds its’ origin in utero life…
Hmmm, ‘utero life’ has an album title ring to it.
ANYway, I’m really glad that asthma is not a reality for you. Truly, I’d be so sad if you couldn’t dive anymore.
AND, my favorite part of the post…that LDS also looks like LDS (latter Day Saints)…it threw me off for a moment….I thought ‘why would Reuben be going to an LDS church after his pool session on Sunday…and they specilaize in dive booties now? Huh. Was there a new revelation from the current church prophet?’
Oh, have you read Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer?
Ok, I’m out…