Pool Membership

 

Many years ago, when our teens were toddlers, we would take them to Clark Park, a wonderful urban green space enjoyed by everyone in my neighborhood. It was wonderful, as new parents, to be able to take our tots to a nearby gathering spot where they could play with other kids of all walks of life. It remains one of my most cherished memories from that era of parenthood.

One summer, all the more affluent families we had gotten to know were gone from the park, and only the less affluent families remained. I learned that those families with means had joined the local pool club, a crown jewel in our community that is immaculately kept, brimming with activities, and thankfully very racially diverse in its membership. Friends told of the good times they had deep into the evenings, watching their kids splash around and enjoying the glow of long summer daylight hours. 

Of course we wanted in. But I remember the cost being, while not exorbitant, quite steep for our penny-pinching sensibilities, especially when compared to walking down the street for free to access Clark Park and its playground equipment and built-in play pals. Simultaneously, Amy had injured her ankle, so we were looking into gym access on the Penn campus for rehabbing. Alas, even with a generous alumni discount, that too was pricey, especially when compared to the free access we had to running outside or logging miles on our basement treadmill.

I forget if it was me or Amy (I think it was her), but we decided to head down the street and check out the local Y. The closest branch is less than a 15-minute walk, so that was a plus. When we arrived, one of the first things they showed us on the tour was the new "Kid Watch" space they were renovating. "You can drop your kids off for up to 2 hours while you work out." Amy and I locked eyes with each other and knew immediately this was going to work for us. Affordable access to exercise resources, which comes with free child care? Sign us up, literally! No need for an expensive gym membership and an expensive pool membership when we can get much of that bundle in one place at a much more accessible price point.

In the ensuing years, the value we've gotten from the Y has been immeasurable. It is no exaggeration to say I owe the Y for my sanity, as the combination of being able to stay in shape and get some free time from my kids has been life-giving. I've since joined the board and am proud to serve in that capacity to make sure that the Y can have as big an impact as possible on as many households throughout the region, just like it has for mine.

But let me bring us to the present. That local pool club is still an amazing place, and even though our local Y is amazing too, it's not the same thing. But, a great thing about a Y membership is access to all the Y's in our region. Which includes Y's that have outdoor pools that are comparable to the amazing pool club in our neighborhood. This summer, we're ponying up the nominal fee that gets us access to one of them, so starting this weekend we'll use it as often as we can. 

Granted, it's about a 40-minute drive away, rather than a 10-minute walk. But, I'm pleased to support the Y and benefit from this resource it is providing. We've been to this outdoor pool a handful of times and Asher in particular has had a blast, freeing me up to be able to read a book, binge-watch a show, or do anything else that normal human beings can do on a lazy weekend afternoon. Looking forward to it and hope to see you there!