Born on Third Base by Chuck Collins

Author:Chuck Collins
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing
Published: 2016-08-30T17:03:11+00:00

A Stake in the

Common Good

Sometimes resilience means surviving long enough to get out, to build something new somewhere else. But sometimes, it means staying put.

Kristen Moe

“We have to take a shower before we get in the pool,” I said, pointing to the sign on the locker room wall.

My 7-year-old daughter Nora and I were in the men’s locker room at our local community center pool.

“That’s silly,” Nora replied, preening in front of the mirror in her pink one-piece bathing suit. “We will get wet in the pool.”

The locker room was a smelly mess, with large gritty puddles, boot tracks, soiled towels, and the fragrance of urine and overpowering chlorine. Nora didn’t seem to notice.

It took fortitude to leave our warm house on a winter day and walk to the Curtis Hall Community Center for family swim hour. But Nora, like most kids, was a fish, eager to plunge into water. Once she was in the water, it was always hard to get her out.

“Well, it’s the rules,” I said, turning on the shower nozzle and waiting for the water to warm up. “We just need to look a little wet.” The pool is sufficiently chlorinated to kill off almost any living organism, except hopefully the swimmers.

We ran around in the shower and then stepped out into the pool area. An adult swim hour was just finishing up and older women in bathing caps were climbing out of the pool and walking toward the locker room.

A mother and her two little girls emerged from the women’s locker room, also freshly showered. Several other families stood patiently by the edge of the pool holding Styrofoam “noodles” and kickboards. I noticed that Nora and I were the only white people.

“Sorry folks,” said a man in a maroon community center shirt, walking out of the office with a clipboard. “There is no family swim today.”

All the children standing by the pool wore confused frowns.

“Why?” I ask.

“No lifeguard,” he replied. “The last lifeguard has to leave, and we don’t have anyone to cover.”

“You don’t have anyone in the building?” I could feel my temper starting to kindle.

“Nope, sorry, those are the rules.” He turned and headed back to his office.

The other parents broke the bad news to their kids, collected their towels, and headed for the exits.

I met eyes with a Latino mother holding her daughter’s hand.

“Bummer,” I said to her, smiling. “We’re all suited up, showered, and nowhere to go.”

“Yeah, really,” she said, smiling at Nora. “This happened at last Saturday’s family swim too. It happens half the time we come here. No lifeguard.” She shook her head in resignation.

“Really?” I was surprised. “Yeah, well, take care.”

I stood there, dripping water and looking at Nora. She was staring at the empty pool. A mischievous smile appeared on her face, “Hey Poppy, why don’t I just fall in.”

“Hmmm,” I said, appreciating her rebellious temperament. I glanced toward the office. “Probably not a good idea.”

I felt the fury welling up in my chest. Why can’t the

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