I am afraid of water. I don't know why I am afraid. I have never had a bad experience in the water. I just never learned to swim. I should have done that when I was just little. It would be easier for me to swim now if I had started when I was young. I will go into the shallow water, but I start to panic when the water gets higher than my chest. I don't like the feeling of not being able to put my feet on the bottom of the pool or the
lake. I don't like to get water up my nose. I choke and cough when that happens. 

My friends just tell me to relax and I will float, but I find it hard to relax in deep water. They keep telling me that if I panic I will sink. Most of my friends have had swimming lessons. Some of them are even lifeguards. 
They have tried to teach me to swim, but I think I need to go to a place where they actually teach swimming. It would be so nice to jump into a pool of cold water on a hot summer day. That would be so refreshing. If I go out onto a boat, I always wear a life jacket. I think it is wise to do that. Everyone should wear a life jacket on a boat. I would rather be safe than sorry. I have decided that I will overcome my fear. I will go and take swimming lessons. I have a goal. By this time next year, I would like to be able to swim the length of the pool without being afraid. It is best to face your fears and deal with them. I hope that I can overcome my fear of water.