Swimming Lessons

When I grew up, many decades ago, one summer tradition was swimming lessons. The Red Cross sponsored swimming lessons for all the area schools and the school sponsored the school bus to take learners to and from. My memory isn't very good but I do recall feeling frightened and anxious. These were days before my school had an indoor pool and there weren't any "aquatic centers" yet. Marshalltown had the only pools I was aware of and my lessons were at the Riverview Park pool that's been gone for many years.

The instructors were all young confident swimmers and I admired them for their cool talent. Since pools were rare and busy it seems our swimming lessons were early in the morning while it was still very chilly outside. I remember not liking to get into the cool water but once I was in, the water was warmer than the air so I'd huddle down with only my head exposed. I believe by the time I got home it was usually nice and warm but the shivering and chattering teeth lasted several hours.

For a country girl to take swimming lessons was quite a special treat. Usually my summers were lonely without many chances to see friends from school. I had a good friend I saw at church and spent time with, and occasionally I'd enjoy a visit to a girlfriend's house. I spent most of the summer playing by myself. I loved to play house or school outside in a shed or off in a dry creek bed where the tree roots created rooms to play in. I'd go to the dump on our farm, left by the previous owners, and find all sorts of fun stuff to play with: broken cups, bottles, old pans and more. I had a great time.

The creek was the next best summer play spot. We would go wading on a hot day and cool down. Exploring the creek bed for treasures, pretty stones and drift wood that would make its way back to the house to show mom and dad. We learned that leeches lived in the shady areas of the creek. It's a wonder we didn't get hurt more often. Only rarely was the creek deep enough to swim in, so the swimming lessons were a probably a good idea, just in case.

"He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers" (Psalm 1:3 NIV).