The minute I pinned this key on my bathing suit today I was suddenly 7 years old and taking a shower at the Riverside Swim Club. Summers whiled away at the pool were just the best. Other kids might have been at enriching camps or on trips to the Grand Canyon but me and my friends we were sitting at the bottom of the pool saying words and trying to guess what we each said, or perhaps doing endless underwater handstands and somersaults.

 

The pool was the epicenter of summer life in our town. We paid close attention to the lifeguards and had various obsessive crushes even joining swim team when we didn’t really want to race anyone. There was a shallow baby pool with sprays of water, a little pool, and finally the “Big” pool. You had to pass a test and have a badge sewn on your suit to enter this pool. It was special. The diving area was for the brave. We jumped off in as many crazy ways as we could think of, while other kids did amazing dives and flips. We yelled stuff as we jumped, twirled around, and tried to touch the bottom before we emerged. It was so much fun. The high dive was scary enough for jumping. But diving? No way. I think I stood up there for many many minutes with my arms up in diving ready position and I still just jumped. We loved to watch the boys do “can-openers” and whoever had the biggest splash was our hero.

As teens, the pool was our hangout, fashion show and sun worship center. There were no lotions with SPF, just burnt shoulders and noses. In high school I had the coveted summer job of basket room girl. We gave out wire mesh basket and then shelved people’s clothes, shoes and valuables. We also cleaned the bathroom and hosed the showers. I rescued my friend Patty as she gagged while we cleaned the public toilet. We read magazines, made sure people took soapy showers, and at night we removed the American flag from the pole in the parking lot. My friend Jay and I did an amazing nightly flag ceremony that involved singing, running under the flag and finally, careful folding. This was never with disrespect but always in the spirit of amazing fun and hilarity.

 

The summer after my freshman year at college I asked my mom if she wanted to go to the pool with me. This was when I realized what a jerk I had been for the last several years. She ran to get her suit. She could not believe this petulant and often-sullen teen wanted to swim with her. We walked to the pool laughing and chatting. This was and still is a reminder to treasure what we have at all times. My mom made sure we could swim and that we had lessons, even water ballet. The water and the pool brought our friends and town together every summer and when the last cool lifeguard went back to college, well we were done too. It just didn’t feel the same.

 

I’ve driven by the pool recently and as all things do, it looked so small, but the memories are so big and the love of summer has always been with me.