Over the last 3 years I have presented on my web site "In the Beautiful Underwater" in August or September despite the fact that I have never gone diving or snorkeling. On Saturday, I finally snorkeled, actually in the indoor swimming pool at the Chambers YMCA in Elm Grove.

   This almost didn't happen however, I went at about 10:00 and the person who was at the counter desk at the YMCA told me that the pool wouldn't open until 12 noon, so I returned back to my house to decide whether to go down again because temps were around the 90's, but I decided to leave about 11:45 or so and walked down first to McDonald's to empty a Ronald McDonald House box full of pop tabs and then over to Rite Aid to get sunblock lotion, then it was over to the YMCA where I paid $7.00 to use the swimming pool. This was my first time in the Chambers YMCA since August 4, 1988 when I was working there in a Summer Youth Program, but that is another story.

    So going into the locker room, I didn't have a lock for a locker, the last time I used a lock for a locker was a junior in High School, so I hope nothing would be untouched, I had to go get a shower first because it is a state law that you must shower before going into the swimming pool.

     Then onto the swimming pool, at first I put on my mask and snorkel, my swim fins and booties that I got from UPS Thursday. At first, I put on snorkel, mask and the fins which I put on in the last step of the swimming pool. After a couple minutes though, I noticed some life preservers, I had to look real well because there were more kids life preservers than adults. I tried on about 3 before the right one was put on. Many of you, I believe who have gone snorkeling in some exotic places and have gone in the middle of the water have had to put a life preserver on while snorkeling even.

     Please note that last year I had 4 Physical Therapy sessions in a swimming pool at Wheeling Hospital after I injured my ankle, but the last time I went in a swimming pool to swim was 1991 at the old YMCA in Center Wheeling. The so-called snorkeling was done despite others being in the pool that day. There were many times I had to clear the mask from fog and open the mouthpiece of my snorkel. I did feel a little scared thinking I was going to drown. The swim fins were very long though. But from the wall of where the shallow end of the pool was a couple of times I looked like I was doing what I was supposed to be doing.

    While the snorkel had me seeing blue lines instead of fishes, coral and such, I think I enjoyed doing it the first time. I hope again to do it outside in a lake or somewhere or even doing it again in the swimming pool.

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