プール開き｜Pool Opening｜2022/08/01

今年の夏は暑い。梅雨も早々にあけて、暑さがダブルできている感覚だ。先日我が家のプール開きを行った。ホースの水はあっという間にお湯になり、足湯状態だ。小学校の頃からプール開きは楽しみだった。小学校一年生の夏休みに水泳教室に１週間くらい通ったら、全く泳げなかったボクがなんと50m泳げるようになったのだ。それ以来ボクは水泳が得意という自己暗示にかかり、地区大会に出たりするようになった。今思うと他の人よりも上手というわけでもなかったと思うけれど、水泳ならばボクというくらい自信満々だった。その後中学に行って普通レベルということを実感するのだが、プールは今でも好きだ。小さい頃のちょっとした自信が50年間のスキを生むんだなぁ。（絵と文：サカキテツ朗）

It's hot this summer. The rainy season is over early, and it feels like the heat is doubled. The other day we opened the pool at my house. The water in the hose quickly turned into hot water, and it was like a footbath. I had been looking forward to opening the pool since I was in elementary school. I went to the swimming class for about a week during the summer vacation of the first grade of elementary school. I could not swim at all,but after the class I could swim 50m and more. Since then, I had been given a self-suggestion that I am good at swimming, and I had started to participate in district competitions. When I think about it now, I don't think I was better than other people, but I was as confident as I was a best swimmer. After that, I went to junior high school and realized that I was at a normal level, but I still like swimming now. A little self-confidence when I was little gave love for 50 years. -Text and illustration by Ted Sakaki