Locked out of the summer social scene

Every summer growing up in Texas we would hang out at the neighborhood pool and swim all summer. Growing up this way was such a ritual that I figured I would take it into adulthood wherever I lived. Summer = hanging out at the swimming pool. Well, this summer we're not only not hanging out at a pool, but we have completely lost touch with the local social scene. Funny thing is, I was told that this would happen two years ago, and I laughed at the idea that I'd need to belong to a pool to see friends over the summer. Oh how wrong I was.

Since school has let out and preschool ended, I no longer see the other moms that I saw regularly at those places. Now, they spend their days at the pool. But no, not me. Two years ago I balked at the idea of paying $600 for three months of swimming at a local club. You see, while in Texas they have neighborhood pools that are paid for by association dues, here in Northern Virginia, at least where we live, you have to join a pool - there are no neighborhood pools. And to boot the pools are only open here from Memorial Day to Labor Day, so it's a straight three months for your $600. So I declined, citing the fact that my gym has a great pool indoors that we swim at year round, and how silly would that be for us to join an outdoor pool just to socialize, as well as the fact that the boys wouldn't tolerate being outside that long each day so as to justify a membership. Man, once again I was wrong. The boys are outside pretty much all day in the yard, and I haven't seen a soul for two weeks now. Occasionally I make plans with my outdoor pool loving mom friends to meet at a local park or such, but that's it. No regular socializing for me.

I had no idea that as the summer wore on that I would really want for that friendly contact, nor did I realize how much of it I was getting during the school year. So next summer I will be one of those pool moms - my boys will all be old enough to hang out there for a few hours each day, and I won't be so bold as to declare my independence from the friendly pool set...ever again.

This is an original DC Metro Moms Post. Suzie also blogs about her not so active summer social scene over at Confessions of a Not So Well Behaved Woman.