As I sit on the lifeguard tower, it’s scary to think that I could be the difference between life and death. I scan for a struggling body under the reflective film of water - this morbid prospect keeps me alert at my post. The lighthearted splashing and chatter are tuned out. I am watching as if a movie is playing in slow, silent motion. Lifeguarding has given me a different outlook on my everyday routine and the fragile balance that is life.
I am a long time B’nai B’rith camper, but last summer I went back as a lifeguard for the outdoor pool. The atmosphere was relaxed and accepting, yet watching the kids swimming everyday in the warm water was anything but calming. On duty I watch as a child, whom I know can’t swim, braves the deep end because his friends are doing it. Kids and adults alike think that they are invincible, as did the fourth grader that I pulled out from under the glassy surface. Though my training had focused on overcoming the panic of such moments, my heart thumped wildly against my ribs. I managed to hoist him up onto the tile siding of the pool, fighting gravity’s pull that urged him back. Once sitting on the tile, he immediately tried to slip away, still sputtering and clearing the chlorine-laden water from his lungs. I had to hold him back until he regained his breath and promised me to take it easy in the shallow end.
You hear about it in the media but it is always someone else, a different situation, seemingly not applicable to your life. Like many others, I have benefited from other “lifeguards” who have helped and protected me. Yet experiencing fear is self-protective; we actually put ourselves at more risk otherwise. Playing around in the pool is one of the most relaxing and fun activities for kids, as if the presence of a lifeguard frees them from all possible dangers. I feel the tension that permeates the pool between the swimmers who are at ease and myself, the safeguard against tragedy. This fragile balance not only applies to my job, but also to the rest of life. I realize there is a part of me that is cautious and tries to make everyone around me safe and comfortable. Lifeguarding as a skill is invaluable, because it is applicable to other real life situations and you must think and act decisively.
Next year, there will be three hundred more eager campers who will line up along the pool decks in groups of ten to take their swim tests under the eyes of equally eager lifeguards fresh out of their certification classes. The lifeguards will have to be ready for disaster and be prepared while staying calm, something that will take some a few weeks while others much longer to feel secure. They will become the guardians for the swimmers, making sure everyone can return the next day to swim lightheartedly. The lifeguards’ eyes will pass over the same waters as mine have, and as they gain experience, the cycle begins again.
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