The Hatboro Memorial Pool has been a summer tradition in my family since 1977, the year my mother's side of the family moved up from Baltimore. Of course I've been going since I was a toddler. A lot has happened regarding certain pool patrons and interesting stories that I can remember. I'm not saying that going to the Hatboro pool is a bad time, but these moments made my day when they happened. Here's a little taste of some interesting times of the sights and sounds at a community pool.

1. Swim Lessons

I took swim lessons at the Hatboro pool when I was little. My grandmother used to take me in the mornings for my lessons. My instructor was by a guy named Shawn, a lifeguard at the time, who taught me how to tread water, blow bubbles, front stroke, back stroke, the whole nine yards. I can remember when I was in line for the snack bar years later and he was standing in front of me. I got his attention by saying,

"You're Shawn, aren't you?"

"Yeah." he replied.

"Do you remember giving me lessons?"

"Yeah, you're Kyle, right?"

The fact that he remembered me out of how many kids he taught swim lessons for and for how many years, I was both happy and impressed. Got to give credit to him for teaching me how to swim.

2. "Miss Bling"

The first character my family encountered at the pool. Well, it was rather observing. There was this woman who came for a few summers with her two daughters, probably ten or eleven years old; all three of them were tan like all came from tanning bed before taking a afternoon swim. My mom gave her the nickname "Miss Bling" because she would wear jewelry in the pool and sometimes the sun reflected on other people, causing them to go temporarily blind. If you can think of any piece of fine jewelry that women wear, she probably had it. She also decided to take some snacks into the pool with her, chips and tasty salsa. Mmmmm.

3. "Mr. Inappropriate"

Technically, a lot of guys out in today's world can be given this secret nickname. This time it involved a man telling my uncle's ex-girlfriend (who sometimes came to the pool, not with us but was there) some pretty dirty jokes. It appeared to this guy that he thought she was younger and I guess could take a joke, but the joke's on him for bad judgement of her age and will forever be known as "Mr. Inappropriate" to us.

4. "Helga"

No, this older woman's name wasn't Helga. We just gave her that name. I don't know why. She only came one summer and she always tied her inner tube to one of the benches, like gale-storm winds were going to blow it away. Just leave it at that. She never talked to anyone and would dismiss anyone who tried to. Pretty friendly I must say.

5. BM/Pool Accidents

There are sometimes incidents where young children or babies decided to have bm in the pool. What's a "BM" you ask? Well...a bowel movement. It happens, but once it does, everyone clears the pool like the water is the plague. Sometimes it takes forever to get back in again, after pouring chlorine into the pool and cleaning the mess. Understandable. One time it was so bad that everyone had to leave the pool.

6. Football Practice

No not a literal team practicing, there were always two kids having a catch with a football. Here's the catch though, ironically, neither could throw nor catch, so technically there wasn't a "catch", it was more like fetch. We've been hit by the ball a few times. I mean there is a rule that you can't have footballs in the pool area or on the grass where people are trying to nap or read a book, but they play on. Why not just go to the park behind the pool?! Take a walk over. It's not that difficult. Is it really?

7. Taking Laps In The Lap Lane

It's great to get some exercise in over the summer. There are many ways to do it. At the Hatboro pool, you can take laps during adult swim, until a kid decides to jump on your head while you're underwater. Just ask my mom.

8. Nap Time

Zzzz...

(45 minute time lapse)

...zzz (eyes slowly open)...what's that?!

Naked people in front of me changing?!

9. "There Is A Changing Room For A Reason"

After a long day at the pool, it makes sense to change into more comfortable clothes after a shower or you could just wear your bathing suit home if it's dry enough. Or you could be like these people who decide to change in front of you while your trying to enjoy the rest of the day and relax. They gave us a view alright, and I'm pretty sure that's the first time I saw the moon in broad daylight. Did they not know about a changing room? What makes you think that'd be OK to do?

10. Summer Camps

The Hatboro pool is a hot spot for local summer camps to bring their campers with their counselors.

"They've been doing this for many years," my grandmother told me.

They were for the most part well behaved, but there were so many of them.

Yep. A huge bus or van pulls into the pool's parking lot. All the children file out like clowns in a mini car. All 60+ of them. They better have an adult swim.

11. "Miss Roland"

Ah, Miss Roland. She used to be in charge of the lifeguards and was a manager for awhile and also actually coached swim teams at Hatboro and Upper Moreland. When she was in charge at the pool though, she didn't take cockadookie from anybody, including "Miss Bling, who complained on the slightest things, and kept the pool under control. She was good at her job.

12. Children's Choir

No, I'm not talking about a church choir. We've heard popular song of the day on the radio. However, with all of the commotion going around, it can be hard to hear the pool's radio. No worry! Some kids yell out lyrics to songs of the day like Miley Cyrus' "Wrecking Ball" or Walk The Moon's "Shut Up and Dance", until their parents tell them to stop singing. Well, yelling like I said before, is more like it.

"People are trying to relax here!", I heard a parent scold to their kids.

13. Lightning

A bad weather day can ruin a good pool day can;t it? We were told to leave the pool one day when they detected lightning. There's a reason why they tell you to leave immediately. Lightning met us in the parking lot...above our heads. The thunder crack was so loud that a lady to our right dropped her chairs as she was carelessly throwing them into the trunk of her SUV.

14. Flying Umbrellas

It would suck if on a windy day at the pool an umbrella came loose and hit someone, right? God forbid, it could impale you if it was fast enough! Luckily it didn't hit anybody, but umbrellas have come loose. Think of it as Marry Poppins and how she traveled around on her flying umbrella, only except that Mary Poppins was nowhere to be found and that we were in a suburban town in Pennsylvania, not England, so therefore looking at the situation, it wouldn't be "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" if someone got hit by the goddamn thing.

This was supposed to be humorous and not to deter you away from the Hatboro pool or going to your local pool. That is if you live nearby one. The Hatboro pool always held a special place in my family's summer tradition. It always will be.