I took my kids to our local public pool here in Cleveland Heights nearly every day this summer. There were old people there who had learned to swim in that pool eighty years ago. My kids learned to swim there. The air smelled of Coppertone and chlorine and nachos from the concession stand. Everyone is happy when they’re in the water. We all spent the summer being happy there. When the summer ended on Labor Day at 6 p.m. the lifeguards lined up along the poolside and all blew their whistles in unison. And one of them, a tanned teen boy, raised his megaphone and said, “Thank you, summer.” Yes. Thank you. 

George Bilgere