Can you imagine a person drowning in the presence of 200 lifeguards?  Well, it happened.  In August 1985, 200 lifeguards with the New Orleans Recreation Department gathered at a city pool to celebrate.  It was the first summer in memory that there had not been a drowning at one of the city pools.

While they were celebrating, a 31-year-old man, Jerome Moody, drowned in the very pool where the celebration was taking place.

Isn’t it ironic that the 200 experienced lifeguards would have a man drown in their presence?

Is there a lesson in that for us?  What about our families or our close network of friends?  Do we take them for granted?  Is someone we know drowning from loneliness?  Is a friend’s marriage breaking up and we’re not paying much attention?  As parents are we too busy celebrating the good in our families that we are overlooking one member desperately needing special attention?