False Advertising

I check the Internet on this 24^th of July holiday

Clearfield Aquatic Center

Lap Swimming: 7-8 AM; 9-11 AM

“Great, Ed, we can go swimming.

Let’s try to get there right at 9 before everyone else gets up.”

We cut our trike ride short;

We gobble down our breakfast.

We rush into what we hope is an empty pool.

E-gads! The Swim Team from Hell.

A thousand arms a flailing;

Water splashing a mile high.

What?

They should have told us.

“Two lanes for you, four lanes for the swim team,”

the lifeguard says.

In the very last lane, there are only two people.

As it turns out, a mother and a daughter.

The daughter looks 70; so the mother is probably 90.

We get in. We didn’t come all this way for nothing.

“We’ll be out in half an hour,” the daughter says politely.

“We’ll swim with you. We have no choice.”

They talk it over and decide the two of them will swim on one side,

while we swim on the other.

Sounds good.

I motion Ed to move over.

When they get out, the daughter comes over to me

and smilingly says,

“Thank you for sharing the lane with us.

It all worked out.”

“Thank You,” I counter,

“you were very kind to share your lane with us.”

“Have a Happy 24^th of July!” she avows.

How could we not?

Touching.