On Saturday we went swimming. And by ‘we’ I really mean my husband & our daughters. I just sat on the bleachers and watched. It’s not that I don’t like to swim; even with my wacky ear, I do. And our community pool is nice. The reason I skipped swimming is because of a certain pool policy. What I call The Pool Rule. The Pool Rule states that everyone w/ chin-length hair or longer MUST WEAR A SWIM CAP.
![swim cap](http://thedailydish.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/screen-shot-2011-02-01-at-4-11-29-pm.png)
When I first learned of The Pool Rule, I tried to be a good sport. Swim caps help prevent hair from clogging the pool’s filter, keeping the pool working and limiting nastiness for the unfortunate soul having to clean. I didn’t argue. Even though my only option at the time was to borrow a swim cap from the Lost & Found, and the only one that fit was plastic and had ear flaps. Getting it on nearly pulled half the hair from my head. I put on that cap! My kids wanted to swim with their momma and I wasn’t going to disappoint my husband. But I vowed that next time – if there were a next time – I’d bring $$ to buy my own.
The next visit, I remembered my swim cap money. YOU KNOW I DID. I bought a stretchy spandex number from the pool office, in black to match my swimsuit. I put it on, got in the water and it promptly fell off. I put it back on, dove underwater and it came off again. I put it back on again. And again. I spent half the swim session retrieving my cap from the pool floor. But I didn’t give up! Even though the swim cap wouldn’t stay on, I wore it the next time, and the next. Until finally one Saturday I’d had enough. I was done dealing with the indignity of that useless cap and said NO MORE. So now I sit & watch.
The Pool Rule may make sense in theory, but when I spend half my time in the pool retrieving a swim cap and replacing it what exactly is it accomplishing? I’m losing far more hair in the pool doing the ON-OFF-ON-OFF routine than I ever would going without. And if the ultimate goal is to minimize hair in the filter, why stop at swim caps? Wouldn’t swim SHIRTS be applicable too?
![Swim shirt not optional](http://thedailydish.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/picture-3.png)
Until then I will be on the bleachers.