“Good one Tim!”, said one of the boys treading water as I came up to the surface. We gleefully swam to the side of the pool to re-take our positions in line at the diving board.
Going back a few years to 1978 in Ellendale, ND, I was 11 years-old, with a summer pass to our small local outdoor public pool. With 6-8 friends we spent nearly everyday in the pool with the exception of thunderstorms and passing tornados. I was so tan that when I changed it looked like I had spray-on “Fruit of the Looms”. At a hulking 83lbs, I was a lean, mean, belly-flopping machine. One of our favorite games in the pool was “Bomber”. We would take turns off the diving board and tread water as our friends would try to splash us with water explosive dives like the Cannon Ball, Can Opener, Watermelon, Twister, Dead Man, and Torpedo. Surprisingly when I try to play this game with my kids today, Lifeguards blow their whistle from the top of their guard tower, give me a disapproving look and point to get out of the pool. As I swim to the ladder, I dejectedly mumble something under the water like “splll…teenage…bllerpp… whistle blowing...ggrlggle…Nazi.”
This past week as we enjoyed spending time with family in Spokane, we went to an outdoor pool that reminded me of that awesome summer of 1978. What made that carefree summer so special was the friendships we developed as we morphed into prunes bobbing in the water. I think of the special memories and friendships I’ve treasured over the years: Sitting next to a fellow trumpeter snickering at the squeaking clarinet in H.S. band, getting grass stains and shin burns with my softball teammates, sharing a cup of coffee or Buffalo Hot Wings with friends, hiking, fishing and lately Horseshoes (Thanks for the Mt. Dew Andy). The Apostle Paul affirms the joy and thankfulness of brothers in Christ as he witnesses their spiritual maturity and friendships grow.
Dear brothers and sisters, we can’t help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing. – 2 Thessalonians 1:3 (NLT)
As wonderful as my treasured memories are, I am looking forward to discovering more with you…bring it on and give it your best Cannon Ball.
No comments:
Post a Comment