re: Mother receiving death threats over teaching baby to swim John Wayne style

During a family trip when I was 4 years old (1971), I was tired of paddling around in the shallow end of the hotel pools and wanted to go deeper, but could not push myself (again--I was 4). I asked Mom to help me.

She walked me out on the diving board and straddled the board. My two oldest brothers, who both had early lifeguard training, were in the water close by. Mom lifted me and dropped me in the water. I surfaced, sputtered, and started dog paddling toward the side.

While I did this, the other women around the pool started yelling at her for having done that.

When I climbed out of the pool, I yelled out, "Do it again, Mommy! Do it again!"

That shut the women up and she dropped me in 3-4 more times before she made me jump in myself. I've been a strong swimmer ever since.

Thank god we didn't record everything in those days.