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Technically the summer was over although school wouldn’t start for another day. As luck would have it, the first day of autumn was a Friday and so we had the day off. It hadn’t gotten cold yet but it was clearly not as warm as the previous weeks. I walked around our pool wondering when we would be emptying it as I removed leaves and branches from the water. Just in case I need to reach or waddle further in, I had my bathing suit on.


The pool finally looked clean enough by my standards. As I pondered hanging out in the backyard a bit more or going inside and having lunch, a thought occurred to me. At first I tried to ignore it but it was too tempting. I realized I could be bragging about it for years. If I were to do it, now at high noon would be the time because as time ticked away it would be more difficult and painful to implement. I contemplated the situation for a bit before finally peeling my shirt off and diving into our pool.

I didn’t swim for much, probably just a few laps before I went running back inside, dripping wet, eager to prove to everyone what I had done. My mom took one look at me and asked, “What happened? Did you fall in the pool?”

“No, I dove in. I went for a swim.”

“Are you out of your mind? Wasn’t it cold?”

“No, it wasn’t that bad. I just wanted one last swim before we drained the pool.”

“Go grab a towel and dry yourself. You’re gonna catch a cold.”

I did as she said. While it was a bit cold but it certainly wasn’t as cold as the time of year would suggest. Later on I would retell this recollection to many, emphasizing the fact that I had gone swimming in an outdoor pool in the autumn. Only when pushed for specifics would I reluctantly admit that it was just the first day of fall.

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