So the season begins in one week… and I am not really all that nervous. The biggest problem I am seeing is not having information about membership. Having been talked up by soo many people, I am afraid that I will let some of them down… NOT! The thing I really don’t like is that it IS possible that some people will take my lack of knowledge about membership fees to mean that I am not as great as other people have said. Not that I’m conceited or anything… It’s just nice when you know everything about the position you are in. I can be a lifeguard almost perfectly. When someone asks about a price or a policy I could send them to the manager before. Now I am the manager. One of the biggest problems I am currently facing is the whole "I’m in charge" concept. I don’t feel like I’m in charge…

Another problem with the hype-v.s.-knowledge thing is that my guards will lose faith in me. Like, if they keep sending members to me and I don’t have solid answers, then why send people my way. They might just say stupid things like "I have no idea… and apparently no one else around here does either…"

My solution (or biggest problem, you decide) is that I just stop caring about what other people think. Do what is right because it’s the right thing to do. That is basically how I try my hardest to live. So I will do what is right, regardless of what other people say, think, or spread… as in rumors, not butter.

My attitude, I have determined, will be much the same as it has been for the last 9 years or so: You follow the rules and no one gets hurt. (I meant to make that a joke… but it kinda makes sense…) I will act/be the same lifeguard I have been in the past, working at the other pools. The only difference is that I won’t be sitting on the stand. I will be free to roam around. I will also have to take money, sign-up forms, etc. I will also have to deal with problems that arise, which are not proper for the lifeguards to handle. I will also have to take care of the lifeguards; making sure they are doing their job properly, making sure they follow the rules as well as making patrons follow the rules. I will also have to keep the place running smoothly so there are no unnecessary confrontations and annoyances. I will also have to try and be a good little people-person and make sure that the members stay happy. You know, all this responsibility might dramatically cut into my roaming time…

So I’m not going to fret, and I’m not going to have the attitude of "everything will be fine." I’m going to take on the attitude of "Do the right thing, because it’s the right thing to do." If I just hang in there (and master the art of counting to ten to avoid slapping people) everything will be fine – I mean things will go as well as can be expected for the real world.

-Peace-