…”& the view wasn’t bad either”!…

Growin’ up the best “Summer Job” any young man could dream of was to be “The Lifeguard” at their local pool. Yeah, it was job full of responsibility. “The Lifeguard” had to keep his eyes on the water. Constantly scannin’ the pool. They learn to recognize both strong & experienced swimmers as well as weak & inexperienced swimmers. Those you have to keep an eye on. There were rare occasions when you’d have to go in to assist some swimmers back to shallower water where they could touch bottom. Only twice did I ever have to go in to “Pull someone to safety” & luckily they weren’t too serious. Then there are the “Show Offs” that create havoc every time they enter the water. Those too you have to keep an eye on! Then there are those that are always in a hurry & want to run from one spot to another. Everyone knew/knows NO RUNNIN’ AROUND THE POOL area! Sometimes they wanted to be first to a spot, to splash someone with {{{ COLD }}} water, or to surprise & push someone in.  They could possibly slip or fall down & hurt themselves or cause someone else to possibly fall & get hurt. A quick {{{ Tweeeet }}} of your whistle gets every ones attention. With a point of your finger the guilty knows exactly who you’re blowin’ at. They come to you as you have motioned. They know what they did but try to argue their way out of it. If they’re a first time offender they get a talkin’ to. If they are a Repeat Offender they get sat down, for a period of time, for everyone to gawk at & make fun of. If they’re a Career Offender they get Kicked-Out for the day (in some cases more). Parents appreciate you for keepin’ “The Hoodlums” in check & away from the younger kids in the shallow end of the pool. Usually there are two or three Lifeguards on duty at the same time, dependin’ on the size of the crowd in the pool. Every 30 minutes you rotate around the pool.Oh! And did I mention the the Young Ladies! Oh yes! They’re everywhere! Tall ones, short ones, Tanned ones & Sunburned ones! One piece suits to “String Bikinis” & everywhere in between. All wantin’ to be noticed! When the guys don’t look they get offended! When they do look, too much, they get offended! When their girl friends are gettin’ more attention than they are the tension & jealousy rises. Yeah, it just too obvious. You know teenagers! At Cascade Plunge, the pool I grew up at, & was a Lifeguard @, there were “Lifeguard Stands” on the Deep end of the pool. One on either side. The deep end of the pool was where the 1-meter Low Divein Board, the 3-meter High Divin’ Board, & “The Tower” (a 5-meter high platform) were! You had to keep an eye on the traffic on them as well to keep the “Horse Play” down. And trust me when you were up on the “Lifeguard Stands” The View got a LOT BETTER! Bein’ elevated you had a better view of the Pool. Oh and of the Young Ladies, as well, that seemed to ALWAYS congregate around the “Lifeguards Stands”? Many of them just wanted to chat & of course you just had to LOOK DOWN TO LOOK AT’EM! Again, bein’ elevated you had a MUCH BETTER VIEW! That thing was like a magnet! Every now & then you’d have to {{{ Sho-o-o’em away }}} to focus on the Pool, but in no time they’d ease back. I wasn’t a user of Suntan Oils & Lotions but I did like “Hershey’s Coco-Butter”, & Oohhh the aroma! And there was always one of those Young Loveys willin’ to rub it on my back, nice & slow, & I always had a bar of it around. And just think, {{{{{ I got paid for that }}}}}! If you needed/wanted/had to have a “Summer Job” that was the best! Oh, & the view wasn’t bad either!…”Hold’em Hook”!…..BG>