Swim like a mermaid

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Wow! ... people are really taking advantage of the beautiful weather these days.

I drove by some local pools during the holiday weekend and could hardly see water with all those bodies inside the pool.

Like me, I think many of you could hardly wait for sunshine and hot weather to finally arrive and give way to our favorite summer pastimes – the outdoor grilling, the running barefoot on the grass and, of course, swimming.

But like my dad always says, safety is first.

There’s probably nothing more frightening than getting in the water without knowing how to swim ... well, maybe a shark in the water is more frightening than that but you get the point.

Even though most pools and beaches have lifeguards on duty during swimming hours, the lifeguard-to-swimmer ratio is not a one-to-one, which really puts safety in the hands of the swimmer.

And take it from someone who can only swim so-so. Having to worry more about whether you’re going to drown than how much fun the water is, is so not cool.

I’ve had plenty of chances to get better at swimming but haven’t really made it a priority.

But with all the classes that the local park districts and pools offer, this might be the year to do that.

Some of us wait what seems like forever for the chance to hit the waves. Why waste it clumsily flapping our arms in the water when we can learn to swim like the fish.