Do you believe a child’s heart makes you forever young? I believe psychologically and spiritually a heart for children makes me forever young. That is why whoever guesses about my age will come out with a number of ten years minus the actual age.
I have had a special love for kids since I was a little girl. That is why I keep teaching children and juniors for my 30 years of teaching life. While others find them a source of headache and troubles, I really treasure that I can still catch their hearts to talk and play with me. Now with a senior status, I still adore the kids and youngsters, particularly those in MIddlesboro, US .
Middlesboro is a small town located on the south-eastern border between Ky, VA and Tennessee,US.
Why is it so special here? As an Asian moving in just for a few months, I have a chance to meet nearly all the kids and youths of that small town. The magic happened in the public pool.
I have been living in Ann Arbor, Michigan, US, in which the public pool is big and standard with a few straight lanes, like those you saw in any competition. So everyone must follow the lanes and swim within the narrow lanes individually. You can enjoy swimming with no one disturbing you. Only it is a bit too formal that there can’t any human contact.
Middlesboro has its unique attraction that you make many friends each time you are swimming in the public pool. Because the pool is separated only with a few areas based on its depth. So, in the shallow area adults can swim around safely and the children can swim together with life jackets. There are no strict restriction by lanes. Every child looks so cute with their shouting, laughing and struggles in the water. They will even run to me and hug only after the first encounter. Wa. That is the fun if you love children more than competing in swimming. Here, at the shallow area, you see flocks of “little jumpers” at different ages jumping into the pool or splashing water on each other. Some bigger ones even chase after each other and play ball games. Even though the pool is so big, as an adult poor at swimming, I have to swim as a fish with a S-shaped wavelike rhythm when it is so crowded with fast moving juveniles. However, they are always so kind to move on either side to leave a straight lane for me.
Of course, there is no fun when they are always so “abnormal” at their age to be so considerate. Sometimes, I had to stop swimming abruptly as a small figure appeared right next to me. Frequently, I scarcely escaped from a little jumping kid when I am enjoying my floating with my eyes shut. One time, I pumped into a strong body which made me feel so painful. While some cute moments came that those boys and girls asked me where I came from, what languages I speak and why I can float and use back strokes. They sincerely asked me to teach them. What? A poor swimmer like me? Sure, some are so smart to be my young teacher of front stroke when I am weak in that.
Most challenging time came when they became friends with me. What will they do to friends? Ha, play me and disturb me when I am enjoying floating alone. So, if I want to enjoy, better not
to be too close with them. But, can I?
Yet, they are too nice to ask me for my YouTube channel links because they want to learn Cantonese and Chinese from me. Some subscribed to my channel at once. Some wanted to take photos and videos with me. Even their parents said thank you to me for my teaching.
I will miss the happiest time in the pool with all those angels and devils, when the pool closes so early in early August. So, I don’t mind swimming in the water battlefield everyday within these two months’ short vacation.
Next year, don’t miss it! Don’t miss the forever young mystery!
#health #exercise #walking #young #cheerful #children #youngsters #swimming #playing
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