Holidays are important to individuals and families and to society as a whole. We all need a break from our routine to spend time with friends and family doing something we enjoy. Even if we do nothing but rest and relax, holidays provide an opportunity to reconnect with those we love and with ourselves.
When my children were very young, my mother had a 19 by 37 foot in-ground swimming pool installed in her backyard. We were there three times a week during the summer, and my kids learned to swim before they learned to ride a bike. By the time he was three, my son was diving into the deep end of the pool (9 feet) to collect pennies my brother tossed in for him. Swimming naturally became part of our family's summer holiday activities.
Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and Labor Day were really special at my mom's house. Everyone in our extended family was invited over for a cookout and to enjoy camaraderie around the water. Even before the next generation further expanded our lineage, there were at least thirty people in attendance.
Have you ever played pool ball? It's like baseball, only it's played in the water. We used a plastic whiffle bat and ball, so no gloves were required. The rail of the steps on the shallow end served as home plate. The catcher could stand on the top step if the concrete was too hot to stand barefooted. First base was to the right, but you had to tag the cover of the simmer in order to be safe. The diving board was second base and the ladder on the left side of the pool was third base.
There were rules. Hitting the ball over the fence was an automatic out. No one wanted to be scratched up by thorns and vines while trying to retrieve the ball barefooted in my dad's overgrown garden. Too many snakes had been seen and no one would go in there. Not even my dad. We had spare balls in case someone hit one out of the park.
A batter would select the step that best fit their height so they could have their arms out of the water in order to swing the bat. The pitcher stood on the diving board, which allowed him to easily sub as second baseman if the batter hit the ball within reach. If he didn't fall off the diving board trying to field the ball, he could simply reach down to tag out the swimmer underneath him.
We had an unlimited number of out-pool and in-pool fielders. If the ball was hit into the pool, the in-pool fielders had to grab the ball, toss it to the baseman or else physically tag the swimmer who was trying to reach base. Going under the water to avoid a tag did not count. If you were tagged, you were out. Many arguments erupted over that rule.
The out-pool fielders would quickly retrieve the balls that were hit inside the yard. Being on land rather than on water provided an advantage, but the rule about tagging still applied. Out-pool fielders were known to take a dive to make the play.
The party lasted all day, which meant you could have hamburgers and hot dogs twice in one day. That is if you could get an adult out of the pool long enough to fire up the grill and tend to the fixings.
It seems like it rained nearly every summer holiday, but it never spoiled our party. Inside the house, there were multiple TVs, so one could watch a ballgame while another watched movies or played video games. Pacman, Pitfall Harry, and Breakaway were the official games of that era. Mom had a toy room for the kids. The grownups played Rook and other card games around the dining room table. If it wasn't lightning, we could take group turns in the hot tub on the back porch.
Mom sold the house on Glochester Place in 1995 and I hated to let the pool and the good times go. The memory lives on in the hearts of those who are old enough to remember participating. My family still gets together on holidays, but nothing tops the fun we had at the pool on holidays.
