It was a beautiful morning as we gathered up all of our belongings and loaded up the station wagon, no one thinking the day could prove disastrous. I had been begging my parents all day to let me go down a waterslide all by myself, and they would not have it. Eventually they gave in and set me off running towards the nearest “kiddie slide.” As I sat down and felt the cold water on my legs I knew I was in for a rush, but not like this.

I went shooting down the slide carefree and full of enjoyment, until I met the cold rush of water on my face from the pool at the bottom. As I shot under the water there were so many questions running through my head. How did this happen? How do I swim? What is going on? As the unsuspecting lifeguard continued his conversation with his fellow guards, I was sinking to the bottom of the pool. As my dad pulled me out of the water I could see the veins pulsing through his forehead, and watched him march over towards the incompetent lifeguard.