The lady that first taught me how to swim now works at a grocery store near my parent's house. From what I recall, swimming lessons were done early in the morning before school, starting in spring and held in the concrete WPA era pool that is now being torn up to make way for a modern pool with better filtration. I think I was six. It was shortly after pre-school, which I remember because I was able to take swimming lessons with two of my friends from pre-school who went to other elementary schools in the district.

At that time of the morning it was often foggy and the shaggy trees surrounding the pool dropped needles and helicopter seeds into the dark green water, which smelled more of pond and less of chlorine. We'd practice kicking in the "guppy" section of the pool and wear styrofoam "bubbles" strapped to our backs to practice bobbing in the "whale" section of the pool, where a dangerous looking diving board was located.

After swimming lessons, my dad would give us juice boxes and feed us cheese curls before dropping us off at school. I guess this is a fond memory because I've always liked swimming. And cheese curls. I'm still a strong swimmer and whenever I do bobs in the pool I feel like I'm six again.