A Dive Into My Swimming Pool

I know many of us lately are feeling overwhelmed by the constant barrage of news and social media.  So much so that it’s hard to focus on what is happening around us in our own lives.  But sometimes, you must stop worrying about media reports of the world at large and pay attention to what is actually happening around you.  There are times when we must focus on ourselves and our immediate surroundings.

Which reminds me of a story I’ve shared before about a potential disaster in my own backyard that was successfully averted by quick thinking and action on the part of my stepsons and me.  I’ve lived in houses with swimming pools for most of my life.  And while having a swimming pool is a welcome luxury in the summer heat of Los Angeles, it also presents a constant danger.  We have always deadbolted the door out to the pool, and it is always the first place we’ve searched for a young child if they went temporarily missing.  Fortunately, we’ve been lucky to never have to rescue a child!

But, years ago, I was in bed late one Sunday morning reading the newspaper, when one of my stepsons raced into our bedroom frantically.  The housekeeper had jumped into the deep end of the pool and apparently didn’t know how to swim. She was now floating on the bottom.  This was a true emergency.  Sometimes, you have to stop reading the news and take immediate action at home.  While Susan dialed 911, I dove into the pool.

One of my stepsons helped me to pull the woman out, over the side of the pool. Fortunately, she was still breathing.  The medics arrived, and they took her with them for observation.

Never was the statement truer than in this story — all’s well that ends well.  The housekeeper was fine, the two boys were heroes.  I never did finish reading the Sunday Times, but I’m resharing this story today as a reminder to all of us, that sometimes, the most exciting story is not in the newspaper, but in your own backyard.

Alan