Palm Trees and Warm Water

When I was growing up, bathing caps were considered the least cool thing to wear ever. When swimming at our local community pool in West Egg we were, however, forced to don them. On the weekends, teenagers were exiled to this sad, shadeless, concrete, loungeless area where we could lie out on seat cushions, but we had no seats. When I was a little kid I thought it was the coolest, but when I was forced to be there, it was just a total annoyance.

I remember being six or seven years old and being fascinated by those old lady swim caps covered in rubber flowers. They seemed so much better than the plain white regulation ones we all wore. But I never imagined a swim cap like the one pictured at left. It mimics hair. I'm sure I would have been mercilessly made fun of had I worn it for real with my two piece back in the 80s, but it's just wonderful.

On a frigid, dreadful morning like today, I can only dream of beaches and swimsuits and being too warm and jumping in the ocean. Of cabanas and drinking cocktails out of coconuts and monkeys in the trees and turquoise water. I found out yesterday that a friend of mine moved to Hawaii. Though I am thrilled for her and in no way begrudge her good fortune, the interwebs tell me it feels like 2 degrees out (Fahrenheit), so I am more than a wee bit jealous. I think I would eventually get bored, living on the beach, in exile from my beloved Gotham. But then I think it would likely take a while.

Photo courtesy FIDM. Please also read their wonderful blog post about bathing caps in the mid-20th century.