Behind every negative, I can find a positive. Lifeguarding was definitely the perfect job. The days were long, but the pay was great. I was outdoors in the excessive heat, but I had easy access to a pool. The sun burned strong, but I went back to school with a great tan. When I first becamea lifeguard, those were my reasons for taking the job.

The summer went smoothly. There were no catastrophes. One night, during the last week, we were preparing to close. The last hour was always the slowest. There were ten people in the pool and two lifeguards. One was cleaning, and I was left to watch the pool. In the pool one young boy splashed around with his sister. Some left while others continued to swim laps. From behind me a man was asking what time we closed. This distraction resulted in my overlooking the boy's sister, who had left him unattended in the pool. I continued to survey the pool and before I knew it, I was in the pool rescuing the small boy. I pulled him out, and he sat there crying. All he said was, "But I'm Superman. I can swim." I gave him my towel and told him, "Even Superman has off-days."

At that moment all my reasons for taking that job took a back seat. All the money and perfect tans in the world could never have given me the feeling of saving someone's life.

When I saw that boy submerged, my instincts and training kicked in. And when I pulled him out and he hugged me, I knew how Superman feels. c