Perfect Sense
Some people have asked why I parade around as SUPERTODD like I do. Some just wonder why I am so obsessed with it. I work to make people smile. A smile brings out the happiness inside a person, that might otherwise be suppressed. True, I could act like a total in adult, but where's the fun in that? Instead, I am SUPERTODD. But you want to know why. Well, if there is a reason, it is the children. They are my everyday excuse for acting the way I do. And for the adults, I look for the kids in them to bring out. But children are more innocent; adults have been distorted and can't be a kid for too long. They have to think. But when your inner child was what you think about, and live by, you're a basic shoe it. For all people who say they are good with kids, but have to think about it, or even say it, you're not good enough. I'm one of the few special that posses, and the only that act upon it. Kids might come to me for the fun, or because I give them power, or even because I understand them, but all I know is I recognize myself in every child's eyes.
I first met the Day care kids when I was to teach them swim lessons. That got cut short due to lack of water in out pool (don't you just love pool leaks). So I only had them for about three days. Two weeks later, our pool reopened. So, for the rest of the year, I played with the day care kids when I could. On the last day our day care was coming to the pool, we did the infamous Baby Ruth day, and a few days later the pool closed. Since day care had a few weeks to go, and I had some time off, I decided to go visit. I quietly stepped into the room where they were all gathered, and before I could take five steps, half of the day care kids surrounded me giving me hugs and pulling me this way and that. Of course, with 20 kids around you, it's kind of hard to move anywhere. I knew the kids had fun, but I didn't know I connected this well to them. This was an awesome end to the summer, and I knew then I was going to miss the kids.
The nest year gave me my favorite memory ever. That year, I did everything: Recreation leader, Day Care counselor, Umpire, Lifeguard, and I even taught a few swim lessons aside from my other morning program (man did the city use me a lot). I almost didn't return as a lifeguard, but I am glad I did. Here's why: Although I worked at a different pool, I got to sub one week at my old pool. They all knew me and the SUPERTODD reputation, so it was understanding they let me work a few days at my favorite place in the pool: the baby pool. On one of the afternoons I worked in the baby pool, there were two little girls aged about 2 and 4. For most of the time we were there, we played with my toy balls and they even blew my whistle a few times (kids simply love to do those). But the one thing these two girls REALLY wanted to do was to go down the slide. I told them and their moms that I would take them down the slide when the baby pool closed, because I was the only person that would do it anyways. So later that day, I took them one at a time up the slides. The younger one decided to take a test run by herself before I could stop her (very anxious, very brave, very naive). Good thing there was someone to catch her at the bottom. As I took the older one down the slide, she was on my lap holding on to me very tightly. I could feel her tense up right when we left. We hit the water and she loved the whole ride. Then I asked if they wanted to go on the other slide we had. I took the younger one up first, and went down with her this time. She had a blast. Next I took the older one up, and she got back on my lap. This time she didn't hold on as tight, not as I expected. This slide was much smaller, but much faster, but she didn't know that. We crashed into the water, and she loved it all.
I happened to have tied on my towel on right after that, and got myself a drink. I was up front talking when the girls and their moms were leaving. As they stepped out, I saw the older girl with her towel tied on just like I had mine. But hugs make things all the more special. I've had junior lifeguards before, but this time was different. It was too cute, too touching, it was brining a tear to my eye. Aside from my SUPERTODD hat, they had no idea who I was (other than a lifeguard), and I had never seen them before. Maybe it was the slide, but part of us was in each other. It was apparent I had communicated with her, although she didn't say much.
These are only a few of the thousands of examples of reasons why SUPERTODD lives. It's not that I have to, but the tear-jerking scenes like these make me want to. And its not just at the pools any more. I have kids at the recreation center I work at wanting me to constantly swing them around (they form lines). Even at school when I baby sit for a friend. SUPERTODD lives and breathes because he's believes in, just like Santa and the Easter Bunny. It should all make perfect sense that as long as someone believes in me, in SUPERTODD, I will carry on.