Amateur Window Washer

We looked at her and sadly shook our heads. We didn't want to do it for her, but we knew we could do it better, much better.

We are the ladies in the training pool at the YMCA. The training pool is small, no more than 20 people can fit into it. It goes from three feet to only five feet deep. It's our time to relax and meditate while we stretch and strengthen our old bodies during our one hour class led by Marti.

Our minds wander as we stare ahead. Through the three large window panes that make a wall between the training pool and the jacuzzi spa. Our bodies know the routine, many of us have been in the class for over twenty years; all we need is Marti's prompting. I raise my eyes farther and watch the trees sway outside the four small windows atop the outer wall of the jacuzzi spa room. Those trees soothe me. Calm my monkey mind. We are mellowed out; halfway through our workout.

Then along comes Miss Energetic life guard with a new cleaning tool she's decided to try out. It's cute. Its double head has a spongy scrubber mop on one side and a rubber edged squeegee on the other. Right below the head is a bright red trigger handle that squirts liquid cleanser.

We notice all of this because she has interrupted our tranquility. She is young and ruddy cheeked, sporting a brand new Apple watch that she checks every few minutes. It's her job to insure we don't overstay our allotted fifteen minutes in the jacuzzi, where we like to loosen up before and after the regular class. They don't want to run up us oldster's blood pressure.

But she has taken it upon herself to attempt to clean the cruddy window panes. They probably annoy her as much as they do us ladies, home makers all, but we know we're not there to clean. We are off the clock here, so we luxuriate and take our time. Gossiping with each other at our leisure. Joking, laughing and stretching out this work-free portion of our day as long as possible.

Miss Energizer Bunny life guard, whose name is Amy, begins and we watch with wry amusement. She thinks she'll be able to knock out this job in a few minutes. Between her walks around the pool checking on us and the swimmers in the large lap pool on the opposite side of the training pool. We know better. We watch.

We watch Amy begin on the jacuzzi side of the glass, on the innermost pane. She squeezes the red trigger and a meager stream of cleanser dribbles out. Already this is not going well. We ladies look at each other with knowing smirks. Our leader, Marti's back is to Amy and she continues: "Run in place with your knees high!"

Amy keeps squeezing the red trigger and finally gets a good shot of cleanser. She spreads it up and down on the top half of the pane with the mop side of her new tool. So far so good. She flips the mop head to the rubber squeegee side and it stutter- slides down the glass. She's not too good at this. Some of the ladies in the pool point out to her were she's missed a spot. We giggle quietly and keep running in place.

Amy finishes the top half. It doesn't look any cleaner than when she began. The crud on the windows has been there for years. It will take more than what she's got to make a dent in the decay. She props the mini mop thingy against the window-wall pane and runs off. It falls while she is away. She returns with a half roll of paper towels from the women's bathroom. She rips off a sheet and tucks the rest of the roll in the belt on her life guard fanny pack. It won't stay so she puts it on the floor. She wipes the rubber edge of the squeegee with the paper towel and continues cleaning the bottom section of the pane. It's a torturous process. It's still not looking any cleaner. She runs off again.

This time Amy returns with another, wider rubber hand squeegee. It doesn't do a better job than the first one. This job is going to require serious elbow grease and industrial cleanser. This cute little mop thingy is not going to cut it. Amy is beginning to see what us old timers already knew from the start. She leaves the fancy new tool and gives up. The window-wall won.

We don't comment on it at all. Not even later in the locker room after our showers. Nothing needs to be said. We just know we could have done it better.