As a child I always liked to swim; the feeling of being engulfed by a wetness like no other, was what I loved. When the time came to get a job, the only one that I wanted was to be a lifeguard. I had always admired lifeguards when I went to the beach with family and friends. I looked up to them because they seemed to be brave, and heroic people. I enjoy helping others and, for the most part, that's what lifeguards do. But now that I am one, I realize the hard work that goes into training. I spent hours working for the final exam. I had to give up weekends and nights with friends, to sit in a dull, tense classroom learning the ins and outs of CPR and first aid. We studied everything from life threatening spinal cord injuries to charred third-degree burns to severed limbs; this job can get to some extent gruesome. I was always told; you will forget about the graphic, bloody wounds once you feel the appreciation patrons have for your hard work. After I passed and received my Lifeguard Service Certificate, I got a job guarding at the Local Pool; the busiest pool on the east coast. This is where I have had to deal with many horrendous incidents, that legally I cannot reveal; involving unimaginable gore. Who wants to call themselves an indoor lifeguard, that’s not the dream. The dream is to be on a beach, with the hot sun melting your face, and the succulent smell of salt water filling your nostrils. With the warm gritty sand squeezing between your toes while
