Pool Club

In 1966, when I was seven years old, a swimming pool was built near where we lived. Our family bought the membership so we could use the pool. We were members number 7. Mom signed my brothers and me up for swimming lessons. There were several days of instruction, and classes started at 8:00 am. We were at the pool each morning, which seemed like the break of day. I was barely awake when I pulled my swimsuit on. There were several classes according to age group, so my brothers and I were in different classes. I remember walking up to the pool and being fascinated by how flat the water was. No one had gotten in the water yet, so there were no waves. At the shallow end of the pool were two sets of steps on each side, and when the instructor started class, we were told to sit with our feet in the water on the top step. Wow, that water was cold! I don’t like anything cold, and the thought of getting into the cold water wasn't appealing. Across the pool, I saw my older brother in his class at the steps, and behind me at the kiddy pool was my younger brother in his class. Eventually, we had to go underwater, so once we did, the water did not seem so cold. The class lasted about an hour.

After the lessons were over at 9:00, the pool opened for all members to swim. I remember swimming out to the deeper side of the pool and watching with fascination the bottom getting further away. I sort of had the feeling of flying over the pool bottom. That was so cool.

At 50 minutes past each hour, the lifeguards blew their whistles, and everyone under 16 had to get out of the pool for a 10-minute break. I remember sitting on the side of the pool with my feet in the water being jealous of the few people that did to have to take a break.

One day, my older brother Johnny challenged me to swim across the pool to the other side underwater without stopping to take a breath. I would make it a little over halfway before gasping for air. Over the next few days, I practiced until I could make it all the way across. My method was to swim as close to the bottom of the 5-foot-deep part of the pool as I could so I would not be tempted to raise my head for air. Later, I would work on holding my breath longer and longer until I swam to the bottom of the 12-foot-deep pool where the dive boards were. I would sit at the bottom and watch people dive. That is, until a lifeguard saw me and made me get out of the pool for a break as punishment for being in the deep end while people were diving.

Those long, sunny summer days we spent at that pool were so much fun. Our tans were dark, and our eyes were red from the chlorine. Leaving the pool to go back home, I pulled my Stingray banana-seat bike away from where all the bikes were near the gate. I would ride the trails that we used to cross a field that ended up near a convenience store. Most days, we would go into the store to get an ICEE. I love to mix Coke and cherry ICEE from the machine. There were coupons on the sides of the cups that we would cut off, and when we collected a certain number, we could redeem them for a free ICEE.

Reminiscing about those hot summer days of freedom when we would ride our bikes all over our small town. Life was so simple then, and friends were like brothers and sisters. On our street, Plantation Drive, many families were part of NASA, and others were in the oil industry. Living on the Gulf Coast south of Houston was a great place to grow up.