Long before Riviera, there was the Maplewood Pool and Frankie's Twin Pools. And on Lemay Ferry there was the Capri, where I spent many summer days with Aunt Rita and her sons. But the Riviera was the gem of South County Pools. Huge. And the changing rooms--open to the air above and individual showers.
Both of my daughters were in swimming lessons from the time they were babies. They both earned Red Cross certification; however, Sally had to work extra hard on diving--she preferred
jumping feet first. I learned to swim from my cousin Bruce. Looking back, he must have been the most patient of teachers. It was hard for me to work my arms and legs at the same time.
We began by standing in the pool, only waist deep, so he could get my arms moving one at a time, making nice round pulls through the water and touching one outstretched hand with the other before making the next arm pull through the water. It all sounds very logical now, but back then it was difficult. Later, he added coming up for air. And then, legs moving up and down. I don't remember him teaching any of my siblings but they all know how to swim.
When I was little, I always wanted my Dad to "take me to the ropes" where the shallow side met the deep side. Later, I remember taking my brothers to the ropes. Neil loved jumping into the shallow water, getting out and immediately jumping back in. He used to do it tirelessly and endlessly.
Ezra and Levi have taken lessons, but they have learned to be little fish thanks to Grandma Jo's
pool. John and Tyson taught Ezra to do cannonballs a few years ago. This year, of course, Levi
has joined that long line of Whitaker Cannonballers.
Swimming with Aunt Rita at the Capri was always a challenge. It was our duty to make sure there was always four little brown-haired heads bobbing around near us. Frankie's Twin Pools was great-- two pools, side by side -- need I say more. If you wanted, you could dive simultaneously with a friend. Also, I remember going to Frankie's one time with Kathy Fox. We went with her Dad, Elmer, just the two of us, no brothers or sisters. It started to look like rain, and we thought they would close the pool. Then it started to rain, and still they didn't close the pool. We were in heaven, swimming and diving in the rain. And then came the lightning and thunder. They closed the pool. The Maplewood Swimming Pool was a sleazy concrete thing, and the dressing area was dark and dank. We didn't go there after the county pools started popping up.
By the time we were in high school, we went to the pools with girlfriends and even boyfriends.
Kathy and Maureen Fox, Kathy and Diane Belgeri, and my sister Diane. Mark Schrodt used to go with us, sometimes even with my family. He was going through his Jerry Lewis phase one summer and would shout to my Mother, "Hey Laay-dee." Not so awful unless I add that he
was standing on the high dive, waving madly to Mary Fran, who sitting at the shallow end!
Later, when he was going through his Pearl Bailey phase, he would stand on the bridge, in
Clifton Park, and sing torch songs.
Other great swimming memories include the CYC summer swimming parties. I'll save that for another day.
