Day 3: Creative, Aquatic Remedy

Today was quite an adventure! For the first time since Elementary, I attended my first art class. Artist’s tools on the menu were paintbrushes and acrylic paint. I panicked a little bit; I was so nervous. But, Ms. Melodie reassured me that everything was going to be okay.

I had talked to Ms. Melodie prior to our art session; I conveyed to her what I wanted to paint. So, she simply drew it and told me I could just paint it.  I sat down at the desk she prepared for me. But, as I looked at the canvas, I had no idea where to start. Ms. Melodie suggested I paint the background first. As we were both working on our projects, she played music from the 90s and now! I’m thinking, “Man, yes! Okay, Ms. Melodie! We have the same taste in music.” Shortly, she received a call from her boss, asking her to meet him. She asked me to ride with her; we headed towards to the location of the community pool. Personally, I’ve never been around a community pool before. Initially, I thought it was cool.

The next minute, I see Ms. Melodie and her co-worker jumping into the pool. I’m looking like, “Why would she jump in the pool with no changing clothes?” I look beside me and her clothes were neatly folded in a chair. Suddenly, I get this itch to get in the water myself. The heat index was unbearable. I found myself staring in a trance at the water. I’m like a fish out of water when it comes to swimming. I just have to get in the water; I can’t resist the subtle call either. I believe Ms. Melodie knew this and began to coerce me.

First, she told me I could just stick my feet in the water. With me, there is no just “sticking my feet in the water.” I HAVE TO GET IN IT! Trying to fool myself, I decided to just “stick my feet” in the water. I sat by the ladder and placed my feet in the water. It felt so good. Then, I quickly inched further in where the water was up to my knees. And then, the water was up to my thighs. I cupped some water in my hands and rubbed it on my face and arms. You can only guess what happened next. I couldn’t fight it anymore. I immersed my entire body in the pool. Forgetting, I didn’t have a change of clothes.

Ms. Melodie laughed and cheered as she figured I would not be able to resist too much longer. While in the water, she provided lessons on how to swim. But, the funniest moment was when she was trying to get me to sink to the bottom of the pool to practice holding on my breath. LOL. However, I tried, and my body would not sink. It wanted to float. I tried to do it once more. This time my body turned a full circle underwater and floated instead. It just refused to sink to the bottom. Me and Ms. Melodie couldn’t do anything but laugh. We left the pool and returned to her house to finish our projects after we changed out of our wet clothes. We both soon learned that our time in the water cut into our painting time. She had another engagement with her sister – movie night.

I finished what I could and told her I would just leave it there until next time. She was okay with it. We agreed to continue our art session next week. I thanked her for the creative, aquatic remedy and how much I enjoyed it.

Once I returned home, I just sat in the bed. I felt so relaxed and calm. I was already aware that water is a healing, cleansing, and purging agent. I didn’t realize it at the time – submerging my body in the pool just sort of “baptized” me. I went in and came out a new person. All the things I was worried about or hanging onto was purged. Also, the art session allowed me to connect back to the flow of creativity I thought I had lost.

This day held more meaning than what I previously thought. I just thought I was going to paint and that’s it. But I discovered a creative, aquatic remedy through Ms. Melody. And my soul is truly at peace.

Thanks, Ms. Melodie! It was much needed.