Splash Moments

A short personal piece

Every time I approach a swimming pool, I’m a bit hesitant to go in.

I used to dip my toe in the water first, but I found that it makes me even more hesitant because the water feels like it’s freezing. After the toe, I would try to go in slowly, gradually exposing inch after inch of skin to the water. But each millimeter of skin cells hitting the water feels like a small electric shock of cold. Sometimes those small shocks would make me change my mind, and I wouldn’t get in the pool after all.

But once you’re in the water though, your body adjusts to the temperature. And after a little while, it feels fine —in fact, the water ends up feeling warm.

Now, I prefer to jump in to avoid the time I would waste on the gradual submersion and to avoid the possibility of not going in. You get one enormous jolt, yes, but it is over with much faster.

But now I hesitate before the jump. Why?

The jump represents something quite profound if you think about it.

Before the jump, you are completely dry. After, you are completely wet. And the change is sharp, sudden, and irreversible. Once you’re wet, you’re wet, and there’s no turning back.

But before that, there is the jump. Once your feet leave the ground to make the leap into the pool, you cannot undo it. In the brief suspension in the air, you cannot change your mind. You’re going into that pool whether you embrace the decision or regret it.

There are moments in life that are like this. Splash moments, I like to call them.

In these moments, a direct action on your behalf changes the course of your life. And once it’s done, it’s done. There is no turning back, no reversing the past. The action is the jump, and the subsequent life change is the splash.


I recently had 2 major splash moments.

1. On December 10th, 2011 around 9PM, I jumped and asked Yenny’s parents for her hand in marriage and for their blessing.
2. On December 17th, 2011 at approximately 9:45PM (plus or minus 3 minutes), I made the leap and asked Yenny to marry me.

Now I am in the water, and it feels fine. In fact, it feels very warm.

Yenny's Engagement Ring: A 1/2 karat brilliant cut heart-shaped diamond on a 14 karat yellow gold ring.