Making A (Small) Difference

The other day, I was swimming at our local watering hole, the public pool, with my three boys. I was lounging on the side, soaking up some rays. I noticed a very pretty teen lifeguard approaching me on the deck. She bent down and waved at me while she said "Hi, Sheila." The sun was in my eyes and I could only see her in silhouette, so I just mumbled "Hi," as she walked away.

Some 30 years ago, I used to work as a lifeguard at this pool. I taught swimming lessons and swam AAU here at this pool. I worked at Birdland Swimming Pool before they put the new pool in the mid '80's. My boys favorite pool is Birdland. Swimming has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.

Back to the future, who was this teen that said 'hi' to me? I looked around at the other lifeguards and didn't recognize any from last year except a few. This mystery girl was new.

Then Ryan, Riley and Danny came back from the water slide and Ryan asked me if that was Michelina that said 'hi' to me. OMG! It was my best friend's daughter- Michelina- that had said hi to me! Ryan muttered that she hadn't said hi to any of them, especially Riley, when she got off duty on the water slide. I was still dumbfounded that it was Michelina working at Birdland Pool.

Flashback about 10 years to Birdland Pool. The boys and I went swimming one day and ran into my best friend, Karolina, who was there swimming with her two kids also. So naturally we began talking, catching up on gossip and other news. Her son is also autistic, so we share a lot of information.

When it came time to jump in the water (shallow) with the kids, she hesitated big time. Her little kids equally shied away from the water. Karolina shared with me that she didn't know how to swim, and she was afraid of the water.

I reassured her that I would take care of her kids and that I would even teach her kids how to swim. I told her about my lengthy past with swimming, and so she agreed. I got her kids started with water acclimation and went on from there. A year or two later, Karolina proudly announced to me that her kids were ready to take swimming lessons with the other  kids in the summer. Great news!

When Michelina started high school, her mother told me that she wanted to be on the swim team, and then she joined! Michelina loved swimming on the swim team, even though her mother confided in me that the workouts were rigorous for her petite daughter. Michelina was a shy little girl.

Now she is a smart-looking young lady that has blossomed into the beauty of youth, while sporting a hot red Lifeguard bikini at a public pool where she once was frightened to enter the water.

I know that I didn't have a lot to do with Michelina becoming who she is today- her Mom gets full credit for that. But I can take credit for planting the seed of swimming in her head. What goes around, comes around- to quote the Bible.

It goes to show that a random act of kindness can have lasting effects on people. It doesn't take much, just reach out a hand and touch some one's life.

Sheila