An Unforgettable tale of Failure ….. from Flops to Triumph

"Failure is the stepping stone to success." 

    

    A phrase we've all heard a million times, right? I mean, come on, can't we find some fresher sayings? It's like that song that gets stuck in your head and you can't escape it. But let me tell you, this phrase took on a whole new meaning for me when I was just a wee lad.. Flashback to eight years ago when school was out, and summer vacation was in full swing. 

    

   Don’t be surprised but we were given 3 months vacation. And those were the days of Outdoor games, friends, books, and off course endless tv marathons. My dad who has always encouraged me to get out of the comfort zone asked me one day if I was interested to learn swimming. ‘YES!’, I replied instantly without a second thought, as I was and still am a curious and an evergreen learning individual who believes that education never stops and it’s a lifelong process. And honestly during that time, I was bored and wanted to do something new. I mean who wouldn't want to dive into new adventures right? It was the right choice.

    After my approval, he signed me up for swimming classes.  Next thing I knew was I was in a pool surrounded by aspiring learners. We entered a large pool with lots of young people my age ,older ones trying to master this skill.  During the first day we were taught to beat with our legs as we were to hold on to a floating bag which helped us to stay afloat. Little did I know the pain experienced during that night would rival a workout with a heavyweight champion. Who would have thought swimming would be complementary to a leg day?

Second day, we learned how to float on water by having our arms and legs stretched out. I was particularly happy at how fast I was learning and how challenging it was. Following days, we were taught on how to use our arms and to follow the rhythm so that we could swim faster.

   Then one particular day, the coach lined us up and told us to swim. The day which taught me a life lesson. No floaties, no assistance just unadulterated swimming. The pool we were in could fit in a small army of 30 swimmers but the depth was nothing as compared to the intimidating abyss of the domain nearby. Many parents were watching from the stands, multiple coaches, experienced swimmers all had their eyes on us when the coach blew his whistle. I could see my dad looking at me.

 The very next moment , all the swimmers jumped into the water beating their hands and legs vociferously trying to swim faster.  It was like a aquatic circus gone wrong ! When later did I realize that doing that would just decrease our speed and consume most of our energy. There was a particular rhythm that has to be followed to swim faster. A fear overtook me at that moment and I was scared of drowning. Amidst that chaos that erupted , I imagined myself gulping a huge load of water more than a thirsty camel in the desert. My legs started to tremble and I was scared to raise my leg from the ground. 

Then an idea which was so utmost stupid conquered me, I thought of beating the system. My little brain advised me not to raise my leg and to deceive my coaches' instruction and make him a fool. I formed a plan. I decided not to raise my leg, while I was to act like I was swimming by moving my upper body in such a manner. I would walk through the ground and since there were thirty plus inexperienced swimmers swimming, who was going to notice me? Genius right ?

 My inner monologue after literally walking for 2 rounds said “see this is easy I made a fool out of him, he is never going to know”. After later what seemed like eternity,  he blew the whistle instructing us to assemble in a line. We did as he commanded and there was drop dead silence curious to know what he would teach us next. 

    The very next moment he looked into my direction and pointed his fingers towards me. I was confused and I looked to the left hoping it was a case of mistaken identity.  He shouted “You! Go swim!”. I acted innocent and looked around trembling as I couldn’t deceive him anymore. All eyes were on me and particularly my dad’s. My face became redder than a ripe tomato and I could feel the heat radiating it through my body. I inhaled a deep breath and then took a big leap of faith and jumped into the water raising my legs. I dared not to open my eyes and prayed someone would come help me if I did drown. I reached the water and started beating my hands and legs vehemently like a demented frog,  the very next moment I realized,  I was swimming. 

 When I was out of breath, I stopped , closed my eyes , took a breath and took a moment to appreciate my new aquatic ability . I swam for ONE whole round without having the courage to look up at the coach or the students around.  It was a silent triumph. When the round was completed, we were all told to swim again together.

 

The look on the coach, the fear that overtook me and later how I overcame the thought of drowning crowd slept from my eyes for the days that followed. Later swimming which was a daunting task transformed into a leisure activity a beloved love affair with the waters. This is one of many incidents that made me realize the profound meaning of the phrase “Failure is the stepping stone to success” and how failure can be a transformative and part in the journey towards achieving success. So embrace the failures, laugh at the belly flops and just go.

 

    Now if you will excuse me, I am off to practice my world-record-breaking synchronized swimming routine I developed with a club of dolphins…. Wish me luck!  lol