Monday, March 12, 2007
FIRST DAY
When I was a kid backeast, we all waited for the first day that we could swim.
There was Seguine's artificial lake in the early years. It featured water snakes and a wide variety of local types with whom we would not normally mix.
But we are all one on the first swimming day.
I don't know how we were able to know when it arrived but I think that it was these same unsavory types who blazed the wet trail.
We would drive by on the way to somewhere else and there were cars parked along the woods that led to the lake.
You did have to be careful as the place was also a good site for snoggering. You needed to see a wet person in a bathing suit through the trees or else you might wander into someone's love nest. And I don't mean the water snakes.
There was a spillway so you didn't have to dunk entirely. You could wade your way in and then dive if you were so inclined.
I do remember that it was fucking cold.
Later, they re-opened the community pool and the starting day was determined by the authorities who opened up when they were damned good and ready.
Later still, I got to swim in the pools of local resorts. All you had to do was snag a friend who stayed there or had pull to get in; usually an employee of the hotel.
My Uncle Hank worked for the Onawa Lodge and my cousin Phil and I spent many happy days at their 'natural' pool. A mudhole lined with drywall rocks. Also snakes. I don't know if the lodgers saw them or not.
The Onawa had a social director and so each week there were water shows with games and clowns and all.
We often got to help. We greased the watermelon for the contest of the same name. We hid the confetti pail so when the 'water' got thrown into the crowd no one got wet.
I had my first homosexual experience there with one of the social directors. Maybe it was molestation but I don't think it is if you kinda liked it.
My cousin Phil and I were doing it anyway but an older man; well!
Maybe we were doing the proverbial 'asking for it'.
A whole separate life.
Where was I?
Oh. First Day. Pools.
When I went to MIT, seasonality vanished and the first day sort of disappeared. The clean olympic plus sized pool was indoors.
After that, the first day would move to the sea side. I don't know how we could tell when it was time to go into the icy waters of Cape Cod Bay. But we did.
All of this adds up to the news that today was our first day in our very own pool. The first for 2007.
John was first.
I was inside and heard him calling me. He was naked and wet out by the edge; just out.
It didn't take me long to be just in. Second but still.
The water is 83 degrees. Cool and crispy for us but very refreshing.
We had our first day.
Summer is here.
Our air temp is in the 90s and the humidity is down into the single digits.
