Bryant Studebaker

Being a lifeguard is the perfect job, right? Sit in the sun and get a tan. That's all there is to it.

Or at least that is what some people seem to think. But being a lifeguard is so much different than that.

Yes, you sit in the sun and many lifeguards are tan. That tends to happen when you spend hours almost every day sitting outside.

But there is also a lot of training in the job to understand how to save people and to perform first aid, as well as being able to recognize when someone is drowning. And there is quite a bit of stress to being a lifeguard too.

The anticipation, waiting for it all to break loose and start. You sit there, watching for the signal from the official. The whistle is blown. You push off the wall and go full sprint at your opponents.

The water splashes into your eyes, but you disregard it. All that matters is getting to the other side and hoping your team moves faster than the other to get the ball first after the drop.

This is water polo. It's one of the less recognized high school sports and yet, in my opinion, one of the better.

Have you ever noticed those people out there who don't quite fit in? They are too short, too long of hair -- they are just different.

Why is this sometimes looked down on? I mean, being different should be good. It's what makes us all special in our own kind of way. It's just plain bad to not like someone without getting to know them, just because they look different than anybody else.