The Nice Thing About Strangers
Creative Non-Fiction Short Stories. :) Travel, Oldsters, Love, and Compassion.
Pool Rules
In the apartment complex swimming pool, two women have the expanse to themselves. They hold the wall and kick, stretching their legs, exercising between observations about the day. Their graying hair is kept above the water as much as possible. One wears a robin egg blue suit and paddles out on her stomach.
A half hour later, the ladies have been joined by a family of six. Politely, instinctively, they have taken their kicking into the deep end, and crowded in close to each other. The family claims the rest of the water. The children have inflatable toys, the adolescent kids splash each other, the mother climbs on her husband’s tattooed back. The ladies smile in the direction of the family, but keep their eyes on the clock above the sign with the regulations. At nine o’clock, the pool is adult only. Ten minutes to go until the peace and quiet return. The ladies are courteous as children regularly bump into them, as their parents call out, “Get over here, we’ve got just a few more minutes.” As they smile, as they wait, the women share glances and float in the comfort of the rules.
–Colorado
Ölüdeniz, Turkey.
The Nice Thing About Strangers 
There are no “kids” in ool…or something like that…:o)
Oh yeah, you couldn’t get me in that pool if you paid me. 😉
It is annoying when someone hogs the pool……………..
Sometimes rules are just great!!!
Agreed! I’m a pretty rule-abiding person, so I also like people who follow them. 🙂