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Abstract

jumped from the board. My glide ended far too quickly, but I had taken plenty of air, and I felt strong. I tended to sink underwater, so I worked hard to swim up and forward simultaneously.I finally made it to the shallow end, and then I kicked off the wall, determined to do what my best friend could not. I swam towards the deep with what strength I had left, but I knew I was done. I stood up and gasped for air.“That’s it!” I shouted out. “That’s as far as I can go.”I was in a bed, not my own. A bunk bed. I had spent the night at my friend’s house, but he was still asleep, so I lay there and waited for him to wake up, just like the day before.No, wait.Hadn’t I already done this? Was I reliving my morning?I leaned over and peeked through the window blinds to see the yard, and to gain a sense of the time. It was just as I had done before, but when I spread the blinds apart I was met with a powerful, bright light. It beamed into my eyes, as if I stared into the sun.I turned away quickly as I snapped the blinds closed. I allowed my eyes to adjust for a moment, and then leaned over the opposite side of the bed to look at the bottom bunk. I wanted to see if my friend was awake like before, but this time I leaned too far, and I fell — into the ocean.I swam through the water at an unbelievable . . . was I a dolphin?I think I was. It felt incredible and exhilarating! I immersed myself in the new found power, and swam quickly, around and around. Time paused while I enjoyed my freedom and grace, but I soon started a long dive into the cold and dark ocean depths. But a sudden thought rose to the surface of my dream. Or was it my consciousness? I wasn’t sure which, but either way, I remembered that dolphins were mammals, and I needed to breathe air!I stopped my dive, turned upwards and swam back to the surface. The light looked so far away and small, but I increased my speed effortlessly. The light grew brighter and brighter, and I knew I would soon take a breath. Finally, my

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nose broke the surface of the water, into the welcome air above.My nose broke the surface of the water, and I placed my hands on the swimming pool wall. My best friend was bent down looking at me, asking if I was okay.“What . . . where am I?” I asked my best friend. He reached down and pulled me up by my hands and helped me sit down on the edge of the pool.“What were you doing?” he asked as he stood above me.“I think I was swimming in circles,” I said.“Yeah, you were. But why?”“I was a dolphin,” I answered.I looked up at him, and he nodded his head.“We couldn’t tell if you were drowning,” he said. “You were swimming in circles underwater, and everyone was yelling at me to get you out of the way, so the last guy could go.”“I think I almost drowned,” I said as I looked down at the water. “But I remembered dolphins were mammals, and that they needed to breathe air. That’s the only reason I came up.”“Do you want me to help you to the locker room?” he asked.“No,” I said. “I’m just going to sit here for a minute.”He nodded again and walked off. I looked around. Everyone had been staring at us, but now believed I was okay, and they turned to focus on the last swimmer who amazingly completed the underwater challenge.But I wasn’t okay. My lungs felt heavy with water, and I was still confused. I wasn’t sure who or what I was. From what I could tell, I had only been under the water for about a minute or so. But in that one minute everything changed. My past and my present intertwined, my identity split into two, and I think I almost died.I pondered a single question in my mind that made me shudder.“What would have happened to me if I didn’t know dolphins were mammals?”I sat at the edge of the swimming pool and leaned back while my legs moved slowly in the water. My thoughts were jumbled, and I did my best to sort them between the short, ragged breaths.</article></body>

The Dream Is the Dolphin

Perhaps

I swam through the water at an unbelievable pace, gliding into the deep. The ocean caressed me all at once, and I nestled further into its cool embrace. It held me gently as I turned to look up. The light was so far away, but that was okay. I enjoyed my swim as I twisted and turned, as I swooped and circled. I felt free. Did it have to end?

I sat at the edge of the swimming pool and leaned back while my legs moved slowly in the water. My thoughts were jumbled, and I did my best to sort them between the short, ragged breaths.

My friends talked over one another, but finally decided on the next big swimming challenge. Dive into the pool, swim to the shallow end, then turn around and swim back to the deep end — all underwater.

About six of us lined up at the diving board eager to test ourselves. I was fifth, after my best friend who happened to be an excellent swimmer. I didn’t swim nearly as smooth or as efficiently as he did, but I had a lot of heart.

The first few didn’t make it. Each of them came up for air as soon as they could stand up.

My best friend was next. I thought if any of us could do it, surely he could. He dove in as elegant as ever. With an effortless glide he made it all the way to the shallow end, but to my surprise, he promptly stood up after touching the wall.

“I didn’t get a good breath,” he said.

I nodded my head from atop the diving board and mentally prepared myself to take a long, deep breath.

I ran the few steps and then jumped from the board. My glide ended far too quickly, but I had taken plenty of air, and I felt strong. I tended to sink underwater, so I worked hard to swim up and forward simultaneously.

I finally made it to the shallow end, and then I kicked off the wall, determined to do what my best friend could not. I swam towards the deep with what strength I had left, but I knew I was done. I stood up and gasped for air.

“That’s it!” I shouted out. “That’s as far as I can go.”

I was in a bed, not my own. A bunk bed. I had spent the night at my friend’s house, but he was still asleep, so I lay there and waited for him to wake up, just like the day before.

No, wait.

Hadn’t I already done this? Was I reliving my morning?

I leaned over and peeked through the window blinds to see the yard, and to gain a sense of the time. It was just as I had done before, but when I spread the blinds apart I was met with a powerful, bright light. It beamed into my eyes, as if I stared into the sun.

I turned away quickly as I snapped the blinds closed. I allowed my eyes to adjust for a moment, and then leaned over the opposite side of the bed to look at the bottom bunk. I wanted to see if my friend was awake like before, but this time I leaned too far, and I fell — into the ocean.

I swam through the water at an unbelievable . . . was I a dolphin?

I think I was. It felt incredible and exhilarating! I immersed myself in the new found power, and swam quickly, around and around. Time paused while I enjoyed my freedom and grace, but I soon started a long dive into the cold and dark ocean depths. But a sudden thought rose to the surface of my dream. Or was it my consciousness? I wasn’t sure which, but either way, I remembered that dolphins were mammals, and I needed to breathe air!

I stopped my dive, turned upwards and swam back to the surface. The light looked so far away and small, but I increased my speed effortlessly. The light grew brighter and brighter, and I knew I would soon take a breath. Finally, my nose broke the surface of the water, into the welcome air above.

My nose broke the surface of the water, and I placed my hands on the swimming pool wall. My best friend was bent down looking at me, asking if I was okay.

“What . . . where am I?” I asked my best friend. He reached down and pulled me up by my hands and helped me sit down on the edge of the pool.

“What were you doing?” he asked as he stood above me.

“I think I was swimming in circles,” I said.

“Yeah, you were. But why?”

“I was a dolphin,” I answered.

I looked up at him, and he nodded his head.

“We couldn’t tell if you were drowning,” he said. “You were swimming in circles underwater, and everyone was yelling at me to get you out of the way, so the last guy could go.”

“I think I almost drowned,” I said as I looked down at the water. “But I remembered dolphins were mammals, and that they needed to breathe air. That’s the only reason I came up.”

“Do you want me to help you to the locker room?” he asked.

“No,” I said. “I’m just going to sit here for a minute.”

He nodded again and walked off. I looked around. Everyone had been staring at us, but now believed I was okay, and they turned to focus on the last swimmer who amazingly completed the underwater challenge.

But I wasn’t okay. My lungs felt heavy with water, and I was still confused. I wasn’t sure who or what I was. From what I could tell, I had only been under the water for about a minute or so. But in that one minute everything changed. My past and my present intertwined, my identity split into two, and I think I almost died.

I pondered a single question in my mind that made me shudder.

“What would have happened to me if I didn’t know dolphins were mammals?”

I sat at the edge of the swimming pool and leaned back while my legs moved slowly in the water. My thoughts were jumbled, and I did my best to sort them between the short, ragged breaths.