I didn't mean to swim on Sunday

It has been 15 years since I moved into this house. 15 years with a pool in the back yard. 15 years of maintaining the pool, putting a cover on from time to time, cleaning, vacuuming, brushing and etc. 15 years of doing that and not once have I fallen into the pool while doing so. Not once, that is …… until today.

See a few weeks ago we purchased a pool cover. It had been a couple of years since we had one of these things and knowing that the cover will help hold in the heat, we figured that we could perhaps use the pool somewhat longer with a pool cover. However. removing and replacing the cover is a bit of a challenge. It is a piece of cake with 4 people but a significant challenge for a single person. Well, last week we added to our collection of pool equipment, a roller device that rolls the cover up. One person can easily remove the cover, so doesn’t it seem natural that one person can easily replace it. ………NOT. Today, I made an effort to do so. Not only did the device not unroll , but it tipped over. Special Kay came to my rescue. And between the two of us we almost got the cover on, ……. almost before I fell in. Yes, I fell into the pool, fully clothed. I found myself suddenly without firm footing for my left foot.. not only that but I found that my faith is not sufficiently strong, and the water failed to support my weight. Yes the water parted and accepted me into the depths thereof. Flailing my arms, trying to regain balance, all to no avail. I found my thought process going something like this, “Oh Dang, I am going to fall into the pool. (and if you believe I said dang, you don’t know me all that well)” Yep, my daddy didn’t raise no dummies. I realized that when there was no more footing and my arms were flailing and I didn’t regain my balance, I was going to fall into the pool.

After 15 years of cleaning and maintaining that stupid pool, you would think that I would be aware of the area where the pool juts out to allow for a seat in the side of the pool. Right at this point the wall of the pool juts out about 1 foot. I have sat there, I have cleaned it, I have put my grandkids there. You would think that I would realize that it was there. But no, I tried to walk right over it.

Did you ever try to laugh while under water. Well, that doesn’t work very well either, I know I have tried. As I came back out of the water, I realized what a compassionate wife I have. Yes, Kay was shedding tears in my behalf. The fact that she was laughing so hard that she couldn’t control the tears is of secondary importance. She was shedding tears in my behalf. Thanks Kay, you really are compassionate after all. And it is alright for everyone to laugh about this. I have done so virtually all day. Every time I think about it I break out laughing. Every time I look at Kay, she breaks out in laughter. So laugh with us. It is OK. I will just have to walk forward the next time I put the stupid pool cover on.