My sister and I spent almost every sun-dappled day of summer 2004 in our grandmother's pool. We played mermaids for about half the time, and for the other, we were on the diving board devising new jumps. The diving board wasn't only for looks; it was integral to the memories and fun of those summers.
That's why I feel so nostalgic when I look back at pictures of Doris Day's pool from the 1940s. Though the actress was swimming at her Hollywood home long before my time, there's something about her unbridled joy sitting on her diving board or jumping off that the streamlined lap pools of the 2020s simply don't offer. As nature-forward design has become all the rage, diving boards have faded out of fashion, with aesthetics reigning over our outdoor design choices. This summer, however, I'm objecting to the dominant narrative and insisting: bring diving boards back.
