One of my greatest childhood memories took place in our subdivision’s public pool. I spent my elementary years in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. I don’t remember much of it besides my house, my neighbor’s yards, the library, my school, and of course, Blackhawk Pool.
The fact that I could find a picture of Blackhawk pool online makes me sick.
Blackhawk was a pretty typical neighborhood. The houses weren’t too big, but they weren’t small either. You could get a lot for your money during the 90’s in rural Indiana. I remember spending lot of my summers at the pool. I think it was a good go-to activity for most parents. Take your kids to the pool–they have fun, you get a tan!
I remembered getting there early. Like, at 9am. Who goes to the pool at 9am besides my mom? No one. Literally every time we’re on vacation my mom wakes up, has breakfast and goes to the pool or the beach. It’s nice because I always have a spot reserved!
Because my brother and I spent so much time in the pool, we became pretty great swimmers. Well, I did at least. I loved swimming in the deep end, diving for rings or sticks or whatever the hell kids dive for. I also loved jumping off the high dive. I remember it being SO tall. There was a while when I just did little jumps, but once I learned to dive, there was no going back. I didn’t have time for jumps any more. It hurt my head when I hit the water diving off the board. Like I was diving into a pool of bricks. But any pain is worth it if you think you look cool in 4th grade.
All the Sandlot kids admiring my diving skills.
During the day, around lunch time there would be half an hour of adult swim which I loathed. UGHHHGH adults can swim any time! But I guess they just wanted time when kids weren’t jumping on their shoulders and swimming in between their legs. The only thing that adults do during adult swim is walk up and down the lanes like totally lame-os. Possibly the only good thing about adult swim was the snack bar. Since kids weren’t allowed in the pool at this time, we flocked to the food stand. I remember my brother and I always got Airheads or Whatchamacallits. A Whatchamacallit was a chocolate bar that was kind of crunchy and chewy. Airheads were…man, I don’t even know. Kind of like taffy, but a thinner consistency. We were pretty easy to please when it came to snacks. Unless it was fruit. Sick.
So yum.
The best part of Blackhawk pool was the radio. They had the radio on all the time. The station played the top songs of 1997…at least those were the ones that I remember the most. Whenever I hear one of these “Blackhawk pool songs” I’m instantly taken back. I remember exactly where I was. Some examples are:
Sunny Came Home-Shawn Colvin
Where Have All The Cowboys Gone-Paula Cole
If It Makes You Happy-Cheryl Crow
Building a Mystery- Sarah McLachlan
Tubthumping-Chumbawumba
Who Will Save Your Soul-Jewel
All For You- Sister Hazel
Bitch-Meredith Brooks
Breakfast at Tiffany’s- Deep Blue Something
Semi-Charmed Life- Third Eye Blind
Ahhh classics! I don’t ever want to revisit Blackhawk pool because I know it won’t be the same. The high dive will be small, the music won’t be the same, and I’ll be allowed to swim during adult swim.
Do you have any summer pool memories?
Lily In Canada 
I can’t believe you found a picture! haha! Those really were great memories. Life was simple and good. I guess that’s how most people would describe childhood in general.
Haha I know! I had a feeling I would though. Everything is on the internet. Life was simple and good. I miss it!
Ahahaha, I remember all of those songs, and Airheads were my favorite childhood treat! I don’t have a ton of childhood pool memories, as I couldn’t ever really swim. But I have lots of great beach memories! Love this post!
Hahah yes! We must be around the same age then! Beach memories are probably better than pool memories. There’s so much you can do besides swim, like play in the sand, collect shells, and all that good stuff! Thanks for reading and commenting! 😀
After Maggie Gioberti Channing (née Hartford) died when her ring was caught in the drain at Falcon Crest, I never swam in a pool again.
No seriously, I haven’t.
Weird. She couldn’t take her ring off? That wouldn’t stop me from going in a pool, personally. There was a creepy story about some kid sitting on the drain in the kidding pool and their insides got sucked out. That story only made me go sit on the drain to see if it was true. It wasn’t.
Best. Comment. Ever.
It was the ‘cliffhanger’ on a TV soap. Freaked the heck out of me.
I just remember one time going to the pool when I was like seven and accidentally packing my dance leotard instead of my bathing suit. So I of course wore my leotard. Which had little sleeves. Yeah.
Yeah. Rough times. At least you still got to swim and weren’t stuck wearing a t-shirt and shorts or something super embarrassing.
I never spent time at a pool when I was a kid, but when you mentioned “Blackhawk pool songs” I smiled. For me the big event of the summer was the MN State Fair. How I miss the days of real carnies! And you felt so cool when you were standing in line for a ride, the music blaring, and that grimy carnie with tattoos and black quilted pants flirted with you. Songs that take me back to those days (because they were blasting out of the speakers on the rides) include Draggin’ The Line by Tommy James and American Woman by The Guess Who. (Songs nearly thirty years older than the ones you mentioned!)
My sister and I, to this day, will hear a song on the radio and jinx each other when we simultaneously declare “Fair song!”
Haha you totally understand me! I love fairs and carnivals. Carnies always freaked me out, but there’s something authentic about them, right? Man your fair songs are wayy better than my pool songs!
I don’t care what country you’re from, those songs are awesome anywhere 🙂
No so much with the poolside memories though, I remember being stood on the beach at Blackpool wrapped up in a thick coat because of the windy and rainy weather.
Blackpool is almost like Blackhawk Pool right? 😉
The windy, rainy English weather isn’t something that I covet, but I still like memories of being wrapped up in a coat to stay warm and cozy.
For some reason pools scare me. Never when I’m in one, but the images. They look like death traps. I’ve also read tons of stories of old resorts closing due to someone going berzerk and killing everyone in the pool.
My girlfriend said something about Airheads Sunday. Something about folding them like sheets. I hope you don’t know what she’s talking about because I called her dumb and would hate to be inaccurate. I was always more into chocolate stuff. It felt like a waste to eat fruity candy. Like a trick that I was actually being healthy.
Killing people in a pool seems like a grizzly scene–the water turning red and everything, bodies floating.
Airheads are so good. I kind of know what your gf is talking about. Like if you stretch airheads out and fold them all up and then eat them in ball form? Could be totally different. You’re probably right. But yeah chocolate always seems like you’re getting more for your money. More calories at least.
Great insight into the origins of the Lily.
And if that was the playlist, yeah, I wouldn’t want to back to that pool either.
Haha don’t hate on the 90’s tunes! Yeah…maybe I should do more flashbacks?
Your memories rock!
Mine pale by comparison…
Thanks! No way! Everyone has a good memory or two…
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