Saturday...wait!

Jack...?

Jack?

JACK!!!!!!

"Dear Lifeguard Betsy,

I wasn't trying to go out that far. I was at the beach, because I got a new surfboard and wanted to try it out. I usually surf in El Porto, but I heard the break in Redondo was very good, so I went there. But the waves were unsurfable, so I played in the water with my friend Ryan. After about fifteen minutes, a huge rip opened up and I was quickly sucked out to sea. I tried to swim parallel to shore, but I kept getting sucked out. I heard a loud EEEE EEE WWW WWW EEE EEE WWW WWW, then I looked to shore and realized how far out I was. I then saw you running out into the water. When you finally got to me you asked me to grab your (rescue) can, so I remembered what they said at JG's (Junior Guards), "If you are a victim, kick if you can," so I did. Then another lifeguard came out and helped pull me in. When we got to shore, my mom hugged me and some dude asked my name and I said, "Jack."

Thank you soooooooooooooooooooo much for saving my life.

Sincerely, Jack"

Yes, thank you, Lifeguard Betsy, that Jack didn't end up so much like the cell phone he left in his shorts' pocket and put in the washing machine the very next day. You would not believe how happy I was to see his cell phone in the washing machine that next day: A real blessing. My forgetful, scatterbrained, darling boy is here with us to put his cell phone through the washing machine.

P.S. Always swim near a lifeguard. A rip current can open up any time where sand bars form. The rip that carried Jack some 150 meters from shore in just a matter of seconds formed right in the middle of the "safe swim zone" flags the lifeguards set up. In addition to Jack, four other guys-- young guys in their twenties and in excellent shape--were swept out as well and needed to be pulled back to shore.