D = DIVING BOARD I was a creek swimmer. Looking back, I try not to think much on exactly what we swam in. As an adolescent heading off to Jr. High one makes friends from the other elementary schools in the area. Those relationships led me to the Freeport Pool.
After not being able to see the bottom of the creek and having to wear "creek shoes" to navigagte the rocks, the gleaming, chlorinated, clear blue waters of the white painted cement of the Freeport Pool was alluring. The pool had a shallow end, a middle section with depths of about 5.5 feet and the roped off deep end of the pool where the diving boards were located. There were three boards. Two smaller ones and the looming large high dive.
One walked up the steps to reach the board. It felt like at a certain angle I should've been able to see my house from that height. The high diving board was a right of passage, a call to woman-up and just do it. These "rights of passage" always require a group of friends to support, agree with the assessment that this was crazed behvior and then to do it in solidarity....each one and all, as it were, jumping through the passage braver and bolder and more bad-asser.
E = EARLY CHURCH Before the majority of churches would finally spring for the cost to air condition the sanctuary and prior to offering various services at different tiimes, there was early church.
From the middle of June until Labor Day wekeend, congregations held worship an hour early, at 10 am. I don't recall it being any cooler, yet, following worshp persons would often exlclaim, "Now that's over, we've got the whole Sunday!" I'm not certain that was the sought-after sentiment, yet, the fact was an entire summer Sunday was indeed wide open!
F = FRISBEE There remains an inherent cool factor associated with the frisbee. This flying disc was made for the wide-open parks and fields of summer. The frisbee was easy to transport and fit in a backpack, trunk or frontseat. Once you learned how to throw it, the opportunities were endless and lots of people could play. Running under a softly hovering frisbee was bliss.
To me, the frisbee is like the Instagram of summer sports; someone invents and masters creative ways to both throw and catch ---- behind the back, under the leg, leaping up and catching it between your legs, doing so backwards. Others notice, practice and accomplish said feats. This inspires more creativity and invention. Being tricky and athletic in the game of frisbee earned one instant "Look at that!" comments and a summer's worth of cool.
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