Flash Nonfiction: Baywatch

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 PHOTO PROMPT © AJ Wilson for Rochelle’s Friday Fictioneers. Other stories featuring the prompt can be found here.
 

Growing up in the 90s was great. Carefree, laid-back, and kids created their own fun… out of nothing. My year 5 class was taken on a camp to a local watering hole — in the middle of the outback. 

Swimming around us girls decided to play “Baywatch”, inspired by the popular show about lifesavers, and I would be the first victim.

Off I swam. 

“Tannille’s drowning.”

Unfortunately, our teacher overheard and wasted no time diving into the water, shoes and all. 

“What are you doing here?” 

“You’re not drowning?”

“No, we’re playing Baywatch.”

After that little fiasco, I was grounded to the shallows. We should have gone with “Dirty Dancing” instead.

~*~

Story Details

This marks my first nonfiction story. The Muse refused to go camping. She doesn’t like sand in her cracks. A memory popped up instead.

Back then, American pop culture usually took a year or a few to reach mainstream Australia and even longer to reach the country dwellers.

34 comments

  1. Ach, and now I can watch “Baywatch” at 3am- 5am every weeknight. LOL! I don’t usually. Usually I watch something on PBS that is soo boring I crash out. Love your memory. What a fun time that must have been, at least, until you got grounded. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Despite my true story, I never really watched Baywatch. Sometimes it would playing in background while I did homework or read my book. 3–5 is sleep time. I don’t blame you for switching the channel.

      That incident became a class joke. Everyone thought it was funny. Even the teacher. Bless him.

      Thanks, B.

      Liked by 1 person

    1. I remember afterwards, while grounded — “You know I can swim right?”
      “I know… You stay put.”
      My kid logic didn’t think it was fair. I didn’t scream wolf lol. Adult me can understand the fright.

      Thanks, G.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. My memory of class camp in the wilderness of the Akatarawa Ranges in NZ. We had to cross the river…we were learning bush survival skills. I was teamed with 2 other girls much taller than me as we hung into a wooden pole.
        That leap in the water didn’t look easy at all!

        Liked by 1 person

      2. I bet they don’t camp these days like they use to. Sounds like terrifying fun. This was my first class camp, it was a mini one before the big one to Exmouth. Mostly it was setting up tents and swimming for a night or two.

        Liked by 1 person

      3. It looks like that last comment went through 3 times!

        I bet they don’t either. Health and safety would be all over it saying you can’t do this or that. That was my first class camp too. The stuff we did back in the 70s…and the tramping…muddy slippery tracks. At least no snakes. Just big creepy Wetas! Lol

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