Junior Lifeguard try-outs

Ok, I wasn’t going to start blogging until my site was perfect but I got so fired-up this morning I really needed to let off some steam.  If you are a resident of Newport Beach, CA you have either personal experience with the Junior Lifeguard program or have heard about the infamous try-outs.  Once your child swims 4 laps within in the allocated time for their age and treads water for 3 minutes they earn the opportunity to register for the wonderful program.  The program is great and well worth the effort, tears and heartache that some families endure trying to get their child to pass the swim test.

Today was the first swim test date.  I arrived with Trinity and Tiara in her wheelchair to be greeted by a line that extended the whole length of CDM High School.  This was not surprising and we were prepared to wait.  As the line progressed this father walked up with his son and greeted another father/son duo in front of us.  He began talking as the line continued to grow about 15 people behind me.  I was baffled as I realized he was cutting in line.  I started staring at him in shock wondering who cuts in line and in front of a mother with a child in a wheelchair.  I was about to exclaim ” are you kidding me?”, but then I realized I would probably stress Trinity out even more and the anxiety I was feeling would probably escalate to a level that would be intolerable.  I assumed karma would come back to this man, probably in relation to his son.  He was teaching his 12 year old boy that cheating was ok.  I guess when his son gets caught cheating on a test and fails a class and can no longer get into that much sought after college, karma will prevail. I hope for that boy this is prediction will not be a reality but with a father like that the odds aren’t stacked in his favor.  I wish more parents would realize how our daily actions will determine what kind of people our children will grow up to be.  I am always telling my children that being a good person by living with integrity and contributing to society in a positive way is the most important thing in life.  I guess not everyone agrees with my philosophy.