Here in Maryland, June means primary election season, and we are faced with tough choices.
With June comes an equally tough choice (if not harder) on the age-old summer choice—beach or pool.
How do BDBF attorneys cast our votes?
Tim Canney
Dive-bombing seagulls terrorizing hungry beachgoers enjoying mid-day snacks. Rogue waves appearing from otherwise tame waters to pummel the unsuspecting. Tomato-red sunbathers realizing too late that they forgot to apply sunblock. These are but a few of the reasons that the beach provides a world of entertainment and is preferable to sitting around a pool. My nine-year-old would spend all day at the beach if she could. We always bring a variety of games/toys like boogie boards, frisbee, and even a DIY beach mini-golf kit (awesome idea, btw), which keep us both occupied and would be useless in a pool setting. I do, however, prefer arriving early to get our spot, then leaving well before the afternoon early-20s crowd arrives with their overly loud, nonsensical music for an early happy hour.
Liz Farley
I am not as creative as Dan or Phil, but they’re also very wrong.
When it comes to relaxing, the pool is superior to the beach for 1 simple reason, and that is sand. Imagine this: you are trying to make your way down to the beach in your flip-flops, which are kicking up sand behind you and slowing you down. However, if you take your flip flops off, you run the risk of sacrificing your feet to the burning hot sand. You find a spot that you have decided is “good enough” because you are over your hike. You take out your umbrella and have to fight to dig a hole in the sand, and then have to carefully lay out your towel while avoiding getting any sand on it. Are you relaxed yet? After finishing your hike and your fight with your umbrella, you have built up an appetite. The entire time you are eating, you have to avoid getting sand in your food. You can’t take a break from eating; otherwise, there is a risk of even the smallest gust of wind ruining your lunch. Don’t even get me started on swimming or sandcastles. When you are ready to leave after your “relaxing” day, you’d better be prepared for the journey back to your car. Only during the hike back, you and all your belongings weigh a bit more because everything is covered in sand. Your car will inevitably need to be vacuumed tomorrow because every inch of your car is covered in sand. Even after vacuuming, you will continue to find sand for weeks to come. All of this to say, the pool is much more relaxing.
Phil Kuljurgis
There are really only three ways one can relax properly. Watch a fire burn. Watch water move. Watch other people working.
The beach is therefore best for relaxation, because you can often go two for three, as fires on the beach are often now prohibited by ordinance.
At the pool, you must fight for a deck chair and must eat your food a certain distance away from the water. And you can just forget about running or playing catch with a football in the water.
The beach, by contrast, is a vast sandy swath of freedom. The best way to relax is to first build a magnificent sandcastle as the tide slowly comes in. If you do a good enough job, it will only be a matter of time before random children are impressed and ask to help. Their youthful enthusiasm is often matched by their youthful ineptness, and so one must assign them seawall duty straight away. After the sandcastle is complete, and as the waves draw ever nearer, I like to sit and watch the children work in vain to attempt to pile up enough sand between the castle and the ever-approaching waves. Throw in a sunset and the smell of fries wafting from the boardwalk, and now you are really relaxing.
Jeremy Rachlin
Some folks know that my life before the law consisted of many, many hours spent poolside as a swim coach and lifeguard. Even today, I spend most summer weekends at the neighborhood pool. But my vote is beach! At the beach, there is no way to measure the passage of time except by the angle of the sun and the coming and going of the tides. A sea breeze, the squawks of seagulls, the roar of the waves, and the people watching equals maximum relaxation. I love the pool, but I’ll pick a day at the beach if I am fortunate enough to have the choice!
Meg Rosan
I’m entering full lawyer mode in providing the following answer: it depends. I’m going where it’s most quiet. I’m going where it’s clean. I’m going where the water is warm, and the bugs are few. I’m wearing a sweatshirt and drinking a cocktail, and hoping that I arrived at this place (whether it be a pool or a beach) by boat.
Dan Shaivitz
In the case of Beach vs. Pool, I guess I have to find in favor of Beach. It has nothing to do with swimming. It has everything to do with treats and snacks. While there often is a fully stocked snack bar around the pool (and yes, maybe even a real bar), the beach is accompanied by deliciousness such as Candy Kitchen, Kohr Brothers, Fisher’s Popcorn, Grotto Pizza, Nicola Pizza, Bethany Blues, and so many others. My teeth are getting stuck together from salt water taffy just thinking about it! On top of that, you have the sights and sounds of the boardwalk with all the arcades, rides, and people! If it wasn’t for that pesky 3-hour drive, I just might leave work early and head there now!
So there you go. You’re most likely to see BDBF attorneys at the beach this summer! Except for Liz, who will be blissfully sand-free poolside.
What say you, readers? Pool or beach? Let us know in the comments or on LinkedIn!
And have a wonderful summer!
