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marble falls

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88. My family had an inground pool. Being in Ohio meant there was serious maintenance ...

Mon Jun 9, 2025, 08:55 AM

Jun 9

... when I was fourteen and trying to sweep the pool, the wind kept rilling the surface and I couldn't make out where I had swept and where the dirt was.

Being clever and stupid at the same time, I came up with a plan: I'd jump in the pool with goggles and sweep underwater!

I needed air, so i got a hose. I needed to be less boyant, so I put a heavy steel stake through a couple of belt hoops. And grinning over my brilliance jumped in at the 12ft end by the diving board.

Hit bottom and tried to take a breath and had a practical lesson in the 8 pound weight of a gallon of water increased by the fact there was around 14,000 gallons in that pool. My lungs were NOT going to draw against that many tons of H2O. I could not get the the stake out of my loops. I had to walk up the incline out of the pool up into the shallows where I pondered while breathing heavy siting on the steps out: how ill thought out my plans were and how close I came to dying. How little traction my feet had on the concrete bottom. How I was never going to let people know stupid I was. What in the world people would think I had been up to when they had found my corpse.

I don't want to be young again. I want to be smarter.

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debm55

89 replies

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Highlight:

Your choice to swim in--fresh water--lakes.etc. salt water-ocean, swimming pools, or I don't swim. [View all] debm55 Jun 7 OP

Ocean, thank you Jilly_in_VA Jun 7 #1

Thank you very much, Jilly_in_VA. for sharing. debm55 Jun 7 #2

Swimming pools k_buddy762 Jun 7 #3

Thank you very much. k_buddy. I had the same experience swimming in a fresh water creek. Swimming pools for me. debm55 Jun 7 #4

havent swam in a long time with heart problems i wouldnt want to be caught in a pool at all. AllaN01Bear Jun 7 #5

Thank you very much AllaN01Bear. Blessings to you on your heart problems and continued good heal. Love. debm55 Jun 7 #8

Nothing beats fresh clear springwater genxlib Jun 7 #6

Oh my , that is simply beautiful. Thank you genxlib. Continue to enjoy and have a relaxing time. debm55 Jun 7 #9

I live in Florida. Swimming pools only. flvegan Jun 7 #7

Thank you very much very much for sharing with us, fivegan. Enjoy. debm55 Jun 7 #10

I swim laps twice a week in my community pool. Diamond_Dog Jun 7 #11

Great and thank you very much, Diamond_Dog. That sounds great. debm55 Jun 7 #14

As I have arthritis, prefer the ocean. Especially warm water. Onthefly Jun 7 #12

Same here Onthefly. I loved the warm water of the Bahamas. Husband is from Boston. Water was too cold for me.Enjpy debm55 Jun 7 #15

We go to a beach in south North Carolina. Water is 80* or warmer. Onthefly Jun 7 #41

Wow, I love warm water. Thank you Onthefly. My husband is from Boston and when we go there the water is so cold. debm55 Jun 7 #42

Riesling enid602 Jun 7 #58

It was wine and a joint for us. HAHAHAHAHAH . Thank you enid602 debm55 Jun 7 #60

I don't get in water deeper than a bathtub Wolf Frankula Jun 7 #13

Thank you very much Wolf Franklin. Enjoy. debm55 Jun 7 #16

I like the ocean, lakes, and pool, with my choice depending on season, weather, and location. quaint Jun 7 #17

That is beautiful. Thank you very much for sharing with us, quant and enjoy yourself debm55 Jun 7 #19

That is a beautiful spot. Thank you for sharing. LoisB Jun 7 #22

I don't swim in anything bigger than a bath tub. LoisB Jun 7 #18

HAHAHAH. Thank you LoisB. Love ya. debm55 Jun 7 #20

Love ya back. The neighborhood bully boy almost drowned me in a creek when I was 13. LoisB Jun 7 #21

I am so sorry that happened to you. LoisB. I see were the fear comes from.Love ya, for your honesty debm55 Jun 7 #27

First, you gotta get me into a swimsuit. Good luck with that! Dorothy V Jun 7 #23

HAHAHHAAHHAHAH. You are so funny, Thank you Dorothy V. debm55 Jun 7 #25

Hi Dorothy, it's good to see you back! Niagara Jun 7 #39

Pools ProfessorGAC Jun 7 #24

Thank you very much for sharing with us, ProfessorGAC, Growing up we had one that size too. It was good for jumping debm55 Jun 7 #26

We Got Ours, When... ProfessorGAC Jun 7 #32

I don't swim much. But would never get in fresh water, except ocean SheltieLover Jun 7 #28

HAHAHAh I am afraid of the ocean. and like lakes. Jaws and and all that. Thank you very much SheltieLover. Love ya. debm55 Jun 7 #31

Love mountain lakes but prefer to swim in pools. OMGWTF Jun 7 #29

Thank you OMGWTF. I agree. the creatures are a turnoff now, When younger I liked lakes. Now it's pools. debm55 Jun 7 #43

I've swam in all three ! kimbutgar Jun 7 #30

Agree with you kimburger. I think as kids we didn't worry about such things. Now I do. Thanks for sharing. debm55 Jun 7 #44

Pool mgardener Jun 7 #33

HAHAHAHAHAHA. lucky you mgardener. Enjoy. debm55 Jun 7 #45

I like the water, almost any water CanonRay Jun 7 #34

I was on the swim and diving team in HS. but cold ocean water is a no,,no for me. Thanks CanonRay for sharing. debm55 Jun 7 #46

I have to be honest, the idea of physically entering or swimming in the ocean or lake grosses me out Niagara Jun 7 #35

Hi, Niagara. I agree with you 100% And I would have to add a swimming pool with kids. leaving their pee and snot in the debm55 Jun 7 #47

I don't swim. TommieMommy Jun 7 #36

Thank you TommieMommy. I can swim-was on HS swimming and diving.,but most times lay on the beach or a a float in the debm55 Jun 7 #48

Many moons ago I was floating in the pool and our dog who didn't like water jumped on top of me TommieMommy Jun 8 #67

Thank you very much TommieMommy. you are right that could of been dangerous for both of you.Thank you for sharing. debm55 Jun 8 #68

Lakes, but only ones with no slugs or brain eating amoebas, and in Quebec. applegrove Jun 7 #37

HAHAHAHAHAHHAH. Thank you very much, applegrove. debm55 Jun 7 #49

I prefer my farm pond. Emile Jun 7 #38

Oh wow, Emile that is neat. The water is so blue. Thank you very much for sharing with us. debm55 Jun 7 #50

Natural rivers or streams or lakes. Don't swim anymore because of health. PufPuf23 Jun 7 #40

Thank you very much, PufPuf23. I don't to much swimming because of my lung issues. I do float in the pooi. but no debm55 Jun 7 #51

Swimming pool. markodochartaigh Jun 7 #52

Thank you very much markodochartaigh. I think when you are young you don't think about it. I went water skiing off of debm55 Jun 7 #55

Any one is fine. Dulcinea Jun 7 #53

Thank you very much Dulcinea. I agree with you. I live now in land locked SW PA. PS Lets go Steelers. debm55 Jun 7 #56

Pools, lakes, creeks, rivers & 2 oceans. rickyhall Jun 7 #54

Thank you very much rickyhall. My dream was to see the Pacific Ocean. You must love to swim. Thank you for sharing. debm55 Jun 7 #57

Neither lol, I can swim, just hate water unless it's bath water warm. JMCKUSICK Jun 7 #59

Thank you John debm55 Jun 7 #61

Whatever is most convenient at the time. greatauntoftriplets Jun 7 #62

Thank you very much, greatauntoftriplets. debm55 Jun 8 #70

I don't swim *anymore*.... lol Jack Valentino Jun 7 #63

Thank you very much Jack Valentino , for sharing with us. debm55 Jun 8 #71

Saltwater pool. Don't have much use for Luciferous Jun 7 #64

Thank you for sharing with us, Luciferous. debm55 Jun 8 #72

I don't enjoy swimming so... discntnt_irny_srcsm Jun 8 #65

Thank you very much for sharing with us, discntnt_irny_srcsm. debm55 Jun 8 #73

All of them! I had to have been a dolphin in a previous life. Dem2theMax Jun 8 #66

Thank you very much, Dem2theMax for sharing with us. That post of Rainbow Pool is beautiful. debm55 Jun 8 #69

Pools. We did sometimes swm in a man made lake w our extended family... electric_blue68 Jun 8 #74

I agree. I love those organic shaped pools with the rocks and waterfalls. Thank you electic_blue68 debm55 Jun 8 #75

Being a New Jersey boy amerikat Jun 8 #76

The water has warmed up by then. amerikat Jun 8 #78

Thank you very much. amerikat. Enjoy yourself in the Ocean. debm55 Jun 8 #79

Ocean... stillcool Jun 8 #77

I don't like swimming pools; they're full of chlorine and pee. Ocelot II Jun 8 #80

Ocelot II you forgot snot in swimming pools, HAHAHAHAHAH.You won't scare anyone. Do it, debm55 Jun 8 #83

The sewer that is modern politics Bobstandard Jun 8 #81

Trust me and belive me, nobody on the face of this earth wants to see me in a bathing suit. MIButterfly Jun 8 #82

But MlButterfly. it's not for them, It's for you to enjoy the fresh water or salt water. Do be afraid. They sell suits debm55 Jun 8 #84

You're probably right, debm55, but it's easier said than done. MIButterfly Jun 8 #86

Ex-submariner here: if I can't see bottom, I'm not going in without a boat ... marble falls Jun 8 #85

Thank you very much, marble falls for sharing with us. debm55 Jun 9 #87

My family had an inground pool. Being in Ohio meant there was serious maintenance ... marble falls Jun 9 #88

I am so glad you made it out. marble falls. That very well been deadly. Glad you figured it out. Love, Debbie debm55 Jun 9 #89