MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • July 26, 2020
Lucky, my aunt’s German shepherd, and I had been doing the dog paddle while being closely watched by my grandmother and mother. God forbid that I should go out above my knees or not be able to “touch bottom.” Note: in my family if you could not “touch bottom” you would surely drown. And, by the way, the dog paddle is not swimming it is staying alive in the water when you have zero swimming skills and cannot “touch bottom.” I never became what you’d call a good swimmer. What’s more, I don’t remember the last time I could “touch bottom” in any area of my life. Sometimes having both feet in mid air is what you get. And maybe sometimes that’s good enough. ~ Sally Hinckley, South Portland