h3x4g3:
so I was walking back from our dining hall with one of our second year counsellors in training (named Sam)
h3x4g3:
and he was asking whether he'd have to get in the water for his swim test if he was only going into pool one (pool one is so shallow you can touch the bottom at any given point)
h3x4g3:
The answer I gave him was that no, he wouldn't have to. But he would still have to get a red wristband, which would demonstrate that he was allowed to swim in Pool 1. Pool 2 wristbands are green, and pool three ones are blue.
h3x4g3:
He looked relieved, and I was like "yeah I didn't take a swim test either, I just took the red wrist band" and indicated to him by raising my left wrist
h3x4g3:
To which he responded "I hate going in the water."
h3x4g3:
And, although it's something I understand, to be conversational I asked "Why's that?"
h3x4g3:
He said that when he was very little, his parents had taken him on a whale-watching boat ride
h3x4g3:
(note: the "lake" at camp is technically a pond, but it's still quite large. You can easily see to the other side, but it's still about a quarter mile in diameter)
h3x4g3:
Continuing with Sam's story
h3x4g3:
He said that seeing the whales (even as he said the word "whales" he shuddered) had freaked him out so badly that he decided right then and there that he was never getting into deep water again.
h3x4g3:
he followed that up with "Ugh, I hate whales"
h3x4g3:
then without another word he turned around and walked away
