I’ve been swimming laps at the pool down the street now that it’s finally sunny and hot everyday.I went three times this week and found myself observing the habits of the other pool people.
One day, the only others there were a mother and very young child. When I walked in, the mother pointed to me and whispered, “That man is going to swim.” I guess the lack of anything other than goggles and a towel was the giveaway.
Next came a running commentary on all of my actions:
“Look, he’s setting his things down.”
“He’s putting on his goggles.”
“He’s swimming laps.”
“He’s taking a break.”
“He’s stretching.”
“He seems to be drowning.”
I know little kids need that and they have questions about everything, so I consider my ability to serve a teaching tool a public service.
The next day two pairs of teens shared the pool. Two girls talking and laughing just loud enough for the two boys on the opposite side to hear just how much fun they were having. The boys, of course, were wrestling and throwing a ball at each other with just enough vigor to impress the girls. Since the two pairs were on opposite sides, I had to swim my laps up and down the middle. That was me, the human fence.
The next time I went, three women sat around one of the tables under the canopy of the pool house. There were many empty beer cans, and from the bits of conversation, I knew that these were all teachers about to go back to school the next day, gathered to toast the end of the season.
One turned and yelled at her kid, “I heard that!”
The kid yelled back from somewhere in the middle of the pool, “How?”
“Because I’m a teacher. I can hear everything you say.”
The kid paused and looked back at his mom, looked at his siblings and friends and then yelled back nervously, “Can you hear what we’re thinking?”
As a teacher myself, I already knew the answer to that one.
Yes. Yes, she could.
James Brush is a teacher and writer who lives in Austin, TX. He tries to get outside as much as possible.
I love it. I was convinced some of my teachers could read my mind.
I’d leave a comment, but you already know what I’d write, so why bother.
George, It only works within a small radius so I don’t actually know what you were going to write.
Heather, They could. It’s true.
And here I thought that was just a mother thing…
Well, mothers are our first teachers.