The Summer of Safe

            It was the beginning of summer. Need I say more? All the parties had ended; the sleepovers and karaoke to 80’s classics were all finished. I had laughed and cried and gone through all emotion evoked from the end of one thing, and the start of another. But right now all I could feel was a tremendous glow in my heart. For the first time since around august, I was going to the beach. I was going to be a Jr.Lifeguard, (my mother had decided it would probably get me out of the house and away from the post-school laziness). I mean the name sounded a little lame, no one wants to be a Jr at anything, but at least I’d be at the beach, a place that I seldom would venture to.

            I stared outside the car window, on the way to Ala Moana Beach Park, listening to my “beach-house playlist” and letting it narrate my drive to the beach. The bubbly Caribbean-style beats and swing guitar complemented the bright day and the short trip through Waikiki. Soon we arrived at a strip of beach heavily populated with tourists and locals alike, swimming, lounging, surfing, doing all manner of relaxing activities. I said goodbye to my mother and the car and skipped down to the beach, with my ratty beach bag in hand.

            But I could hardly walk! The beach was so greatly populated with bodies and bags and the like, that I had to take a winding path until I found my destination, a big white and red tent. Streaked across the side was “Jr Lifeguards, Ocean Safety” I took a deep breath and headed inside.

            They looked friendly enough. About fifteen boys and girls, varying in age from 13 to 17 sat lounging around the tent, listening to ipods or talking to each other. The two adult lifeguards sat at the front of the tent looking out into the sea. I started some small talk with the girl next to me, a local girl named Alyssa.

“So, you like the beach?” She asked me, as we put on sunscreen, which my mother had made sure I had more than plenty of.

“Um, well yeah, I don't know, it’s pretty fun…jus don’t want to get burned.” We both laughed, but were interrupted by as the lifeguards began to speak.

“Time to get started, folks.” The taller, bald lifeguard said. “So I’m lifeguard Steve, and this is lifeguard Jeff.” He said pointed to the other lifeguard who gave a grunt of acknowledgement, while still staring out into the sea. “And welcome to the Jr.Lifeguard program!” He went through the rest of the lifeguard curriculum, which included ocean rescue, beachside fitness and CPR, though I only got the gist of it, as during the speech Alyssa was raving about how a spiky-haired kid sitting next to us was named Magic Li.

“But before we get into all that small kine stuff, we run!” said Steve. So we ran, on the beach, weaving through people and trying, sometimes in vain, to not step on rocks. The first half of the day was much like this, exercising while learning how to power swim in the cold water and use a bright red buoy to rescue other kids. Soon the freezing cold water of the beach began to seem like soft, cool water, and the tough athletic exercises became more and more enjoyable. Not only was the program itself fun, but the people too. The kids of the program were truly great people, always having fun and laughing about one thing or another, especially Magic’s 13-year-old boy antics. Steve the lifeguard was also very kind and approachable. “Cheeee Magic, you got all the girls!” He joked as Alyssa once again made a great big fuss about his “cayoootee” name. Soon we had a break for lunch and she and I crossed the street just beyond the beach to go get some food from a local kine snack shop. But as we approached the stand a strange man crept up from the beach side and began to talk to us.

“Hey little ladieeeessss!” He said as he swaggered up to us, his eyes, round and glazed over. We ignored his advances.

“Hey I’m talking to you! You girls right there!” Alyssa and me exchanged glances of fear. But as the man got closer and closer, we heard a voice.

“Knock it off buddy, yeah you, I’m talking to you right there, leave these girls ALONE!” It was the voice of Jeff, the quieter, subtler lifeguard, who now, as he defended us, showed a completely different, and protective demeanor. He had spotted the commotion and once he had intimidated the deranged man, lead us back to the beach. At that moment, I gained a new respect for these people called lifeguards. They had showed us a part of their life, that they live everyday, their techniques, their regime, even their strong-willed attitudes; always helpful and watchful. They help to keep people safe, and risk their own lives in the process. Not only that, but they had saved my own life.