I never learned how to swim. I realized this at my friend's funeral. She was 40 years older than I am and when she found out she had pancreatic cancer, she learned how to swim.

And then she did a triathlon.

I have since done some of the things that I have always dreamed of. I wanted to go on a cruise - I have been on several. I wanted to go to Hawaii - I have been there twice. While I was in Hawaii, I grabbed a boogie board (which I had never used before) and, without a lifejacket, went swimming with giant sea turtles. Was I scared? Petrified! But more importantly, I felt an immense feeling of pure exhilaration! I may have been crazy, but I was out in the ocean with sea turtles the sizes of houses (ok, slight exaggeration) - me! Amazing!

(Here is where the warning comes in - folks, please don't try this at home. At least not without having swim lessons first!)

You hear people talking about making a Bucket List, and of making lists of all the things that they want to do before they die. Parasailing was not something I would have ever put on my list, but I did it last October while in Mexico. Over the ocean. Yes, me; the person who doesn't know how to swim. Have I mentioned yet my fear of heights? It was an impulsive move - driven by pure insanity. But again, when I was up in the air looking around, realizing that once again I was doing something purely crazy, I felt exhilarated.

The summer is almost over and I have not yet taken swim lessons. But I will someday. And who knows, maybe someday I will also do a triathlon.

For more information on Author Sherry Moore, visit www.sherrymoore.site.shutterfly.com.