Into the rush

There's nothing wrong with holding your nose before you jump into a pool.

I remember when I was growing up, my family used to go to a somewhat local community outdoor pool that had a 5M diving platform. It was always a rush to jump from that thing, and for some reason I could only do it if I knew for sure that my parents were watching me. My brother, though, always made fun of me because I couldn't seem to make the leap without first holding my nose lest water should invade my nostrils and cause that burning pain that lingered for hours (slight time exaggeration). I, however, found it extremely necessary, and—even though I wanted to do everything my brother did—this was one exception I had to make. I even tried a few times to jump without my hand glued to my nose, but those fingers always managed to cover it just seconds before I hit the water. Whew!

One thing I've learned in life is that it's OK to take the safe route sometimes. We don't always have to jump in head first at full-throttle speed. I mean, I'm even one of those people who usually eases into the pool in super slow-mo when I think the water is too cold instead of just taking the path of the maniac and running and plunging into the iciness (probably another slight hyperbole, considering where I live). The point is that gradual is the better idea on various occasions.

Most recently, I have valued this lesson when it comes to running. I've been out for six weeks with a fractured hip, and Monday marked the first day I was able to try a run. Of course, the doctor told me to "take it easy" and that I needed to stay on soft surfaces, so I made a plan to run a mile on a track near my home. A mile—whoop-dee-doo. I definitely had a little devil Natalie on my shoulder encouraging me to keep going after those four laps—"You can go another four so easily"—but I knew that this was one of those things where I had to follow the rules and ease back into running. I can't just jump straight from the platform without holding my nose. The pain in this case would be a lot worse than a bit of rushing water in my nose.

I'm not going to lie—being patient sometimes just plain sucks. I can't really think of a better word right now, so we will leave it at that. When it comes to running, I would rather not hold my nose; I prefer to be running many more miles than one. Granted, I did go 1.5 yesterday morning—holla! As Miley Cyrus once wisely pointed out to us, it's all about the climb.

Life is full of opportunities to jump without holding your nose. I think the wisdom comes in knowing when to do so and when to play things with caution. Sometimes it's definitely better to take a few big risks; others, you would be foolish. I will admit right now that I often mix up the two—I want to be risky, but I take the safe road; I know I should walk on my tippy toes, yet I take off at full speed without a helmet.

At least I know it was OK to hold my nose before jumping into this pool.