My childhood summers would make an awesome montage in a film. A gang of tanned kids playing in gardens, building forts in the paddocks behind the houses and climbing trees. Our combined families playing street cricket and having BBQs that went from lunch till well after dark. And then there would be the swimming.
We were lucky enough to grow up with a backyard swimming pool in a street were there were quite a few. Mum could always tell which house we were at by the echoing screams, shouts and splashes. My sister and I would spend so many hours in those pools that we would be darkly tanned by the end of the summer. We were masters at riding a pool pony, could swim multiple laps underwater and were unbeatable at marco polo. One summer we even taught our Uncle how to swim. We truly were water babies.
As I grew older I spent less and less time in the pool. It just wasn't as fun as it was when we were little. Our firm childhood friends and pool buddies had grown up, gone in different directions and were no long available to play marco polo for hours. Since I moved out of home the effort of going over with swimmers etc and my annoyance at extra hair washing and drying, has meant that it has been quite literally years since I had been in that pool.
But then this summer arrived with its blaze of heat suited to only one thing - lazy pool afternoons. For the last two weeks before family dinner S and I have headed up for a swim. I can see such a difference between us when it comes to the pool. My years and years of constant swimming mean I'm completely confident and jump right in even though I haven't been swimming for ages. S has never been a swimmer and he is much more hesitant about the whole thing.
But we have been having a ball. Mucking about, playing in the water. I had forgotten how free you feel in the weightless environment of the water. I am enjoying swimming laps and feeling that sense of powering through. And it is just so nice to cool off in this super hot weather.
After hiding away in a drawer for years my bikini is finally seeing the light of day and if this weather continues the way it appears to be I can see many more afternoons in the family pool. Now just to get a new pool pony!
Have you been swimming this summer? And are there any childhood activities that you haven't done since then that you would like to again?
Your childhood summers sound a lot like mine :-) We had less of the neighbourhood vibe (not so many children around) but I spent hours and hours playing in the pool over summer. I feel really lucky to have had a backyard pool to provide that fun and also water confidence. These days, though, I hardly ever swim - I do like it when I do, but don't usually feel motivated to go. I love that you have been enjoying it :)
ReplyDeleteOh I so cherish my childhood Summer memories, so many at the beach. I've swum this summer maybe...once?!?!? bad. I so miss it. Each year I say this. I'd love to go body boarding (or boogie boarding as we called it!) again, man I LOVED that as a child...
ReplyDeleteHeidi xo