During a particularly boiling-hot summer, the “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” characters went to several lengths to cool off in any available pool.  I found it hysterically funny for the measure of desperation.  They endured the public pool which contained broken glass and Danny DeVito throwing in a greased watermelon for sport.  They tried to join an exclusive private pool where the attendant insisted membership already reached capacity even though it appeared pristine and empty.  Others tried to renovate a unsalvageable pool and became stranded when the ladder was thrown out of the abyss.

Each year, I smile at the township’s registrar and gladly fork over my local pool’s membership dues.  I love swimming; the fresh, chlorine smell; the refreshing, great exercise; and the possibility of meeting new people.  For me, joining the pool and enjoying all its benefits outweigh any cost.

Blissful, sense memories from cooling off in a wet, turquoise expanse flood my mind.  I rarely enjoyed backyard sprinklers, hating the stray pieces of grass that would cling to the bottom of my feet.  As a toddler, my family joined our local pool.  I learned to swim there and could safely walk a short distance to the pool.

Despite the myriad of rules, the pool was a fun and exciting place to spend a hot summer afternoon.  Four aquamarine pools equipped for all ages and different types of swimming including lounging like tea bags, playing games, and swimming laps.  Excitement heightened when the diving towers opened where you sliced through air into deep sapphire waters.  We challenged each other to jump off the towers – I braved the first tower; my sister the second; and one courageous friend dove off the third which still makes me shiver with fear. [Read more...]