Jedi Fil Skywalker sits upon his throne high above the frigid glistening waters of Pioneer Pool. His bat vision scans in swift motions from side to side without any double takes. He is the hero the pool deserves, but does not always need. Surrounded by the most elite of lifeguards, he leads a team of superheroes fighting against hypoxic convulsions, killer wasps, and death rays emitted from the scorching sun. In recent history, children have been consumed by the dark forces of poor decision-making; attempts to smuggle modded Super Soakers, and bands of 10- year-olds performing steeplechases around the deck. For Fil Skywalker, however, decision-making comes second nature. His eyes lock onto perpetrators and possible victims of drowning within seconds. With a succession of whistle blasts from his Fox 40 Whistle demanding patrons to obey the laws of the pool, he maintains order. He is a …show more content…
In the winter months, he seems to only be another typical high school student hidden in plain sight. Just another flower in the meadow. However, his roots hold all the same talents, love, dedication, and joy of his Jedi life. Only these are used in different context. Instead of hunting for pool deck runners, he hunts for Mark Twain’s themes in Tom Sawyer. Instead of practicing CPR for hours, he practices his pin-point dive repeatedly for a race at the sectional meet. Instead of memorizing the steps of drowning, he memorizes the derivative of sin and cosine. It is the same qualities, but different setting. He’s the same person, but different name. Few recognize Clark Kent as Superman. Similarly, few recognize me as Jedi Fil. But I do exist believe it or not. Whether in the pool leading the swim team to its first division title or at school explaining the purpose of the subjunctive tense to timid Italian students, my dedication to teamwork and leadership exists universally. It is simply who I