From April 13, 2008
Swimming pools are unique in that they
offer us a chance to experience a different world. A realm where we cannot
possibly survive without the proper equipment, kind of like landing on the
moon. To go into space, we need to wear a suit that offers the protection we
need to survive in an environment that is hostile to human life.
If we could breathe under water, and we
were to sit at the bottom of the pool, we could observe the effect our
surroundings have on our senses. For example, sound does not penetrate well
through water. The voices we hear would be muffled or muted. The light would be
subdued.
Our sense of touch would be affected by
the weight of the water and we would seem to move in slow motion. People who
jump into the pool would appear as swift moving flashes of light to us,
catching us by surprise in our quiet little world. They may swim around us, and
look at us, and then they go back up to the surface. We will hear things, but
not much of it will actually get to us, or is not clear because the water
distorts the sound.
This is how I often view my husband. He
lives within a sphere that is something like a protective water bubble. You may
be talking to him and he will appear to be listening (though not really looking at you) but very little of what you say will go through the wall of the sphere.
Some of it will be absorbed like sound waves in the water, but much of it will
not penetrate.
My husband lives at the bottom of that
pool. When he wants or needs to communicate, he is able to come up for air and
comply-- but only on his terms. Other terms do not sit well with him. He goes
back to the bottom of the pool. Living by a set of rules or code of conduct is
not within his capabilities. He will try from time to time, but will-power is
not something he is capable of drawing upon. It can be taught, but that is
something much easier to learn while young.
Communication is constantly a problem
in all aspects of his life. He remains at peace in his own world; his own private pool...
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