There comes a time in every thinking
adult’s life when he looks around at the sources of public pleasure that he has
and debates one of the pressing questions of life: how much would you be
prepared to pay to keep kids out of where you are.
I am still being blessed in the local pool
by my continuing to have an empty lane to swim in but, even with ear plugs and
one’s head underwater the piercing screams of the under age cut through
placidity and contentment and spoil the experience.
I have come to the conclusion that I would
be prepared to pay double the membership cost of any club that strictly
enforces any ban against children being found anywhere on the site of any
organization of which I am a member.
Especially the swimming pool.
Even though I was in a separate lane a few
children drifted from their watery enclosures like deadly jellyfish, their legs
trailing like the poisonous filaments of that irritating sea creature, towards
my solitary route – almost as if any disruption in the surface of the pool dragged
them unerringly towards my scything progress from end to end.
In the end it was not the children who
slowed me down but rather their besotted father who, to amuse his ADS kids
lurked underwater like some grotesque octopus, limbs akimbo rising slowly to
the surface and straddling the area between separated lanes, including the one
I was in. To such depths are adults
driven to keep their offspring amused, ignoring the justified and necessary
space which is a sacred right of those who actually swim in swimming pools!
And the torture is not confined to the pool
itself. Outside the leisure centre is a
café with a delightful outdoor, tree shaded sitting area. I sat there with my two-bag cup of tea and
settled down to read my new Lucky Bag Kindle with the Kindle version of the
Independent on it. This laudable
determination was almost frustrated by a small, but disproportionately loud
child who refused to shut up. Her female
guardian did try and shush her a few times but her guardian’s general level of
speaking was at a shout so it was perhaps easy to see why the smaller version
was no objectionable.
During my cup of tea I thought that paying
three times the membership fees to exclude the young would be a bargain.
However I am not stupid. I know perfectly well that the place which
has provided me with a free lane for my 20 minute intense swim is only there
because of families, which are the mainstay of this organization, pay their
fees and keep the place alive. The links
with schools and the number of groups of kids paying their money for summer
activities actually allow me to enjoy the facilities without paying a fortune
for them! So reality informs prejudice!
My new watch (another part of the
Retirement Lucky Bag) arrived this morning and became the first thing actually
delivered by Amazon’s choice of Castelldefels delivery agent!
The watch is almost perfect having all the
major attributes of an acceptable timepiece that I demand: numbers, day/date,
sweep second hand, luminous, waterproof.
As an added advantage this Seiko watch is solar and therefore powered by
the sun. How I don’t know as there is no
obvious “cell” but it means that the battery never need be changed. The only cavilling objections are that the
clear white face is a little small and the metal strap a little thin – but I am
pleased and will see how it manages tonight and during the hours of
darkness. It certainly hasn’t stopped
yet!
Tomorrow Toni’s mum’s respite comes to an
end and we will be going to Terrassa for the celebration of a birthday in a
particularly family-fiesta heavy period of the year.
Over the next few days the rest of my Lucky
Bag should arrive – the last elements of which I am much looking forward to!
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