I Swam With Alligators!

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I must have been 10 or 8 - maybe 7 or 9. Ok - who knows . . . somewhere around there. But I was young. We were on vacation! Yea! Our family vacations were always spectacular! A kid's dream (and probably a parent's nightmare by the end! hahaha - just kidding! Thanks Mom and Dad.) We would drive all over the country for weeks in my Dad's cool antique car with side pipes - stopping here and there - hitting any and every spot along the way. (Except the rattlesnake with two heads place. Kinda creepy!)

Anyhow - this particular time we were on vacation in Florida to relax and go to Disney World and Epcot. My Dad had a friend from work (?) that had a lake cabin there that he was letting us stay in. His name was Art Dosal. I thought it was the coolest name - and would repeat it often in my head over and over. Art Dosal Art Dosal Art Dosal Art Dosal . Ok - anyway. I was slightly fascinated by him because I remember seeing a giant green dollar bill with his face on it. He was wearing a top hat. I'm not sure what that was all about - but things like that can fascinate a kid. Seriously. It did.

So we were at his lake house and of course - decided to go swimming in the lake. We found a few kid type swimming things in a closet and put on our swimsuits to go play.

At this time - I would like to pause. I have two items that must be addressed before this story can move forward.

1. I failed the Starfish Level of swimming class 8 times. (ok - maybe not 8 - but it sure felt like it) over and over and over. Let's just say I was not a confident swimmer. Bless all my swim teacher's hearts. I could kind of keep my head up - but wasn't quite coordinated enough to put it all together. Don't worry though - I'm ok now. In fact - I took the Starfish Level again this summer and passed with flying colors. (No I didn't. Taking the class I mean - not that I didn't pass - again.)

2. I am the youngest of 3 girls. The youngest. The baby. The supposed spoiled one. Well - really it goes both ways - it has its perks and it has it's down side too. I missed my sisters terribly when they both left for college. That alone swallowed up the benefits of the perks. We had a lot of fun together growing up.

Ok - so now that those two points have been established I can carry on.

In the closet - we actually found a big rubber inner tube - that fit two. And a styrofoam kickboard with what looked like a very large shark bite out of the bottom corner of it. Umm yeah . . . guess who got the kickboard. Right. So my sisters enjoyed the inner tube and the man power of two - out playing in the lake - while I pathetically trailed behind on this broken styrofoam kickboard in my limping Starfish level kick about 15 yards behind wherever they were. Needless to say - I stuck near the shore.

After a few days of this unarguable injustice - I gathered up enough bravery to follow them further out in the lake then I'd ever gone before. We were actually out pretty far - especially for a failed Starfish. I recall finally catching up to them and enjoying my feeling of triumphant I-can-do-it-too-ishness. When I suddenly noticed my sisters (sitting on that nice big beautiful inner tube) were looking past me - with wide eyes - and a terrified look. They began screaming - and paddling with their two-man man-power back to shore faster than I could turn my head and look behind me. When I managed to - I saw a slithering writhing mass of water moccasins headed in our general direction. Just a slight refresher - I had a styrofoam kickboard - which was missing a giant chunk out of the corner - and I failed swimming. However - in that scary life threatening moment - I actually would have qualified for the Olympics. I had never been so terrified in my short time on earth. By the time I'd reached shore - my sisters had informed my Mom what had happened and we were banned from sticking our toes in the lake ever again. Fine with me! My heavens!

So - this is the ironic part. When Art Dosal showed up a day or two later - to see that we were enjoying our stay - my Mom casually (hahaha) mentioned to him the experience we had. I will never forget the look on his face as the color drained and he looked like he wanted to sink to his knees and pray in thanks. He said to my Mom "You let them swim in the lake?!?!?!?! Did I forget to tell you?!?!?!?!? THERE ARE ALLIGATORS IN THIS LAKE!!!!!!

It was beyond me at that point - why anyone would even WANT to pass the Starfish swim class. Mercy!