One summer, when I was little, my dad bought a swimming pool at Sears. Just like that. Came home one day and said, “Let’s set up the pool, shall we?” None of us kids had a clue what he meant but mom had us stay inside for a while–a long while, so he could set it up in peace. Then of course, once it was up, it still needed to be filled. I remember thinking, “How big of a deal will that be? Just fill it up!” Like maybe it would take twenty minutes or something. This pool was pretty big–as far as backyard pools went in those days, and it took about a day and a half to fill it with the garden hose. We kids kept running out side to see if it was full yet.
At one point my dad got annoyed and said, “Quit running outside every five minutes. It’ll be full sometime tomorrow.” But my mom said, “Oh, let ’em go. They aren’t hurting anything. They’re just excited.”
It was nearly full the next afternoon and then we learned that there had to be some kind of chlorine solution put in it for 24 hours before humans were suppose to poke a toe in the water. SHEESH!
It was complete and total torture for a 6 year old. Then finally, finally the day came when we got to climb the latter and plop down into our very own swimming pool. I don’t remember ever even getting out again. Suppose I must have. But it felt like all we did that summer was swim…and turn tan…and swim…and get very blond…and keep right on swimming.
One day momma came out and said, “If you don’t get out sometime, you’ll turn into a fish!”
From the looks of this picture–that was fine by me.
I loved swimming as a kid. We used to live in a complex that had a community pool and I was there everyday all day!
As much as I love EVERYTHING on this blog… I think it’s SOOO great that you tell us stories like this about yourself that I’ve never heard before. 🙂 So fun! I love the picture too… another one that I don’t remember seeing before.
Agreed. I’ve never heard this story or seen this picture. Thanks for sharing it!
Until this pool–we only ever went swimming when someone with a pool invited us over. Didn’t happen very often–so this thing was dang cool.
Ahhhh….yes, well. My secret life.
heh, heh.
The best part of being in El Cajon 2nd ward as a kid was that so many members had swimming pools. We got to go swimming every day during the summer at a different members house. So we only hit up the same member every week or two. So we didn’t wear out our welcome at any one home, but we still got to go swimming every day.
We were extremely excited when Mary Jo’s family got a pool. We didn’t have to go so far to swim. But I think we might have wore out our welcome at her house.
Now that I think about it, almost all my friends as a teenager had a pool. Lori Tiedge did, Mary Jo did, Marsi Insch did, Dawn Goldie did. I think you & I were the only ones who didn’t have a pool.
I’m lucky enough now to have my own swimming pool in my own backyard. At least until I can’t make my house payments anymore. It’s great in the summer time. I come home from work, put on my swimsuit, jump in the pool to cool off & then wear my swimsuit all evening long. Helps me stay cool. If I get too hot, jump back in the pool. It’s fabulous. The pool, that is, not me in a swimsuit. That is scary.
You gotta love the fishies!! I remember the days of the wading pool well, and the bubbles in the pool, and the friends, and the tan, and the heat and the wonderful, delicious, coolness!
Well–I apparently didn’t run with the right set. :] I have never been in Mary Jo’s pool and I don’t remember the Tiedges even having one. Horses…yes. Don’t remember the pool. Hmm. Looks like I’m pretty out of touch.
I’m with you on the swimsuit bit though. yikes.
I miss it now. We have a hose…that’s about it these days.
:]