by Pops Miller

Created on: January 05, 2009

Making A Splash!

Junior high school can be a very tough time for children. It is especially tough on children that just somehow do not quite fit in. Voices go from a high squeak to a grumbling rumble. Bodies grow inches in an afternoon and your feet will no longer carry you safely down the hall without tripping over each other. Add on a whisker or two and maybe even that most coveted chest hair, mix with the chemical imbalance of puberty and you have a child in turmoil. I was one of those children and can candidly speak of this terrifying condition.

I was desperate to fit in but simply did not know how. I was smart, and funny. I was outgoing and most of my teachers found me to be slightly charming. But the moment a girl would come within ten feet of me, I would become a stumbling, bumbling idiot that could not put two coherent words together! This condition, while intolerable, would be enhanced by a factor of ten whenever said girl had the name of Sue Ward.

Sue was the girl that every guy dreamed of. She was tiny (under five foot) had gorgeous hair that went down to her ankles, was the very definition of intelligent, had a voice that would cause birds to turn green with envy and was musically blessed. In short Sue was the closest item to perfect in all of God's creation in my opinion at that time of my life. Whenever she was near I digressed from a total idiot to a complete moron. I could not manage to speak two words to her without either drooling or biting my tongue.

Though I was pretty much the clumsiest guy in school, there was one notable exception. In gym class my teacher discovered that I had an amazing knack on the diving board. Living very near Lake Michigan, I had spent most of my young life on the water and was never intimidated by it. My father often said that I was born with gills instead of lungs. This same gym teacher also happened to be the swim team coach, so it did not take him long to convince me to join the swim team as a diver. Though I certainly was not Mark Spitz, I did seem to have a natural ability and learned new dives quite quickly. It was a very proud day for me when I made the team and was presented with a pair of swim team trunks of my very own.

A short time later I became aware that there was to be a pool party for the drama club which I was also a part of along with Sue. This would be my opportunity to shine. I could finally demonstrate that I was not the complete idiot that I always portrayed myself to be whenever Sue was around.

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