Alli H's Memior

Alli H.
09/11/08
One Big Leap
I thought this day would never come, but when it did, I was wishing it would end. I stood on the OB pier, shivering and awaiting my death. The wind was whipping my face and the dark ocean was luring me towards it's salty depths. My feet were numb and I could barely feel the rough wood beneath me. My friend, Matty, was sitting on a bench in her wet suit and Junior Guard rah guard, looking very at ease. I felt a pang of jealousy, for she had been in Junior Lifeguards last year and was used to jumping off a twenty foot pier. Unfortunately, this was my first year in Junior Lifeguards and I was scared silly. But I was too stubborn to back out and I felt like I was obligated to jump. I had talked to Matty before and she said it was just like roller coaster, and it would be fun, that is, if I liked roller coasters. I said that I did, but really, I wasn't so sure. Now I tried to act liked I wanted to do this, but in my mind, it was mass hysteria.
I walked over to Sara, who, like me, was only in her first year of JGs. But she was smart and wasn't going to jump of the pier. I was wishing I could back out with her, but it was like I had a brick wall blocking me. I felt like I was dedicated to jump, and plenty of people would be disappointed if I didn't. I begged her to jump, but she declined. I don't blame her. I was half for mimicking her myself, but the other half of me wanted to go right up there and leap. It was like I wanted to prove something to myself, and to everyone else.
We were lining up to jump. I was so confused and I couldn't make up my mind. My instructor was telling to go, and out of a mad impulse, I left Sara and got in line. As the line inched forward, I watched the people in front of me jump. I had already watched all the older kids jump and they made it look simple. I didn't think it was, but when the kids my age, some even younger, jumped, it looked as easy as everyone else. And most of them were new like me. I was beginning to wonder if I was just overreacting. But before I could judge that, I had got to the edge of the pier and was up on the edge. I willed myself not to look down, but my curiosity got to me. I gulped. It was really high. The water was dark and further down, closer to the beach, I could see the rocks.
My fins were in my hands, to put on when I got in the water, and they felt like they were getting heavier by the moment. I looked down again, not focusing on the water but the people in it. I saw Matty waving to me, and I felt a little bit more relaxed. Someone told us through the megaphone to put our fins up. I did. We had to because if we didn't, and put our arms down, we won't be streamline and our arms would be yanked. They told us to jump. Gulp. The butterflies were gnawing at my stomach. I had only one second to make up my mind, and at the end of that second, I pushed myself up, away from the end of the pier.
I was rushing down to the water. My stomach was in my throat. The water got closer and closer by the millisecond. I pointed my feet. The silence was deafening as they watched us fall. I held my breath. SPLASH! I was under the water. I kicked my legs, my lungs yearning for oxygen. I was reaching the top quickly. At last, my head breached the surface. I took one big gasp of air. Ahhh... It wasn't too bad. Actually, it was sort of fun, even though I hated to admit it. But I was glad it was over.