Growing up in Florida has made me wary of ponds and canals. As a golf trainer I secretly have a fear of them. When I was a teenager I told a few of my friends my fears, but they laughed at me and made me think I was ridiculous to fear those bodies of water. Seeing them laugh at me made me flush with embarrassment, and after that incident I knew to keep my secrets to myself. Truth of the matter is that I am not afraid of any such water—I am afraid of what lurks inside it. Everyone knows that Florida was once a swamp, and that means that alligators are in the water. They are the cause of my fear and because of them my job as a trainer is so difficult. When a person hits the golf ball and it lands too close to the water, I don’t even go near it and suggest to my trainee to simply use another ball. I hate to waste and I never like the idea that my fears control me so. I just can’t help myself and I think it’s valid to be scared of such a powerful thing. I hate to be called weak and vulnerable, and for those reasons some things are better left unsaid.