So, my recently anointed OWSI husband twisted my arm into signing up for a DM class, so I can help him teach here at the house. I've been going through the bookwork, but last night was my first night with a full class. I went to the shop and sat through the lecture portion, and then helped students assemble their gear, and that's when the weird juxtaposition of memory and immediate experience began. As I helped, I saw myself in that same room, four years ago, looking at the unfamiliar equipment and struggling with it. As I grabbed a tank and heaved it around, I remembered how HEAVY they were on those first nights. I listened to the apprehension in the voices of people who SAID they were worried about finding the pool . . . but I knew where some of that apprehension was really coming from.
And then we went to the pool, and the real fun began. As I brought forgotten items, and straightened out equipment issues, I kept hearing those "Bob was helpful and kind to the students" vignettes from the DM book, and chuckling to myself. When I got in the water, I watched students trying to model what I was doing, and it felt amazing to be one of the "good divers" that I remember watching, dumbfounded, as I floundered underwater. I swam with an anxious student for a while, and gave her encouragement, and remembered how important the kind DMs were who were detailed to work with my awkward and untalented self (I still remember precisely who they were). And I listened to the excited voices of people who surfaced and called to one another, "Isn't this COOL?" And I knew why people teach diving.
It was an amazing, fantastic experience, both to see how far I have come (and I think it had even more impact because these were the exact same classroom and pool where I did my OW class four years ago), and to see a little of how much power I now have to help other people discover this great sport.
It was a wonderful night.
And then we went to the pool, and the real fun began. As I brought forgotten items, and straightened out equipment issues, I kept hearing those "Bob was helpful and kind to the students" vignettes from the DM book, and chuckling to myself. When I got in the water, I watched students trying to model what I was doing, and it felt amazing to be one of the "good divers" that I remember watching, dumbfounded, as I floundered underwater. I swam with an anxious student for a while, and gave her encouragement, and remembered how important the kind DMs were who were detailed to work with my awkward and untalented self (I still remember precisely who they were). And I listened to the excited voices of people who surfaced and called to one another, "Isn't this COOL?" And I knew why people teach diving.
It was an amazing, fantastic experience, both to see how far I have come (and I think it had even more impact because these were the exact same classroom and pool where I did my OW class four years ago), and to see a little of how much power I now have to help other people discover this great sport.
It was a wonderful night.
