TFG1MIKE 365 – 2024 Day 104 – 30 Years Since “The Dive” A True Story!!

Hello all and welcome to my continuing Daily Blog series from me TFG1Mike. This is TFG1MIKE 365!! The idea here is for me to write something, anything, once a day for 365 days. From January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024. Day 104 and I’m still slacking this year on the writing! However in my 104th entry for 2024 I’ll be talking about how it’s been 30 years since:

“The Dive” A True Story!

It was the summer of 1994 I was visiting my family in Massachusetts and my Mom had flown up from Florida. So the whole family was back together again. I don’t remember what day it was but it turned out to be a scorcher. I was with my Aunt Debbie and three cousins Rachael, Robby, and Cassie. We were heading to Deb’s father’s place for a day of swimming and fun. They were having a barbeque when we got there and everyone went swimming. We were all having a fun time in the pool. I did a few cannonballs and Robby was sliding down the slide. My aunt Debbie and cousin Cassie were sitting talking with Papa Bocash, while Rachael and I were hanging out in the pool. It was a clear cloudless summer day and I was having so much fun.

It had been a long time since I’d been home to Massachusetts. My cousin Robby was using the slide and having fun I was just hanging out feeling the cooling temperature of the water compared to the heat of the summer afternoon. It was getting late and everyone except me had abandoned the pool. I still wanted to swim and just relax. My cousin Rachael was the last one out of the pool besides me. Papa Bocash asked her to clean the pool a little bit by using the skimmer. Rachael went and got the skimmer and went around the pool twice I think she was upset at something but I’m not really sure. The reason I say this is because she didn’t really put the skimmer away she flung it towards the deep end of the pool. I was getting out of the pool at this point ready to dry off and get ready to go home. When Rachael flung the skimmer it went into the deep end, my aunt yelled at her then as I was climbing up the ladder to get out I saw the skimmer. I knew in my heart I could get it I had my mask on the top of my head I pulled it down over my eyes then dove into the deep end.

It felt like my arms and legs were going to fall off. It seemed as if I was swimming as though my life depended on it. After all it was just a damn skimmer someone else could have gotten it, but I wanted to be the hero of the day. I reached the bottom of the pool grabbed the skimmer then tried forcing my body through the water to the surface. As I was gasping and gulping in air and water trying to get out of the pool I could hear my aunt’s voice yelling and screaming I could hear my cousin’s voices cheering me on. Finally I thought that this was it I was drowning trying to get out then I realized that if I relaxed my body I’d rise faster to the waters edge. I rose faster and faster until my head exploded out of the water and I breathed in the fresh afternoon air. My lungs felt like they were on fire and collapsing all at the same time. The whole time I was in the water after retrieving the skimmer I held onto that object for dear life. When I broke the surface of the water inhaling air everyone that was there with us were leaning as far as they could without falling into the pool. They were there trying to see when I was going to come up out of the water. When I did only my head popped up then I raised my arm with the skimmer in my heand everyone cheered I was the hero that day. My life flashed before my eyes under that cold water three times until I finally surfaced.

After the ordeal I was a hero in everyone’s eyes including my own. I did something I never ever thought I could do. I dove in the deep end of a pool for reasons other then to have fun. I had been scared of the deep end my entire life. But that day in the hottest summer Massachusetts had seen yet I overcame the fear and saved the skimmer. It was a fun day and I was shocked at the accomplishment. That day will forever be in infamy for me outside of “The Cheeseburger Incident” which is another story all together…..

Robby, Cassie, Rachael, Auntie Deb, and Uncle Rob know what “The Cheeseburger Incident” is.

Join me tomorrow as I’ll be writing about something!!!!