Lazy Days
Myles Tan / Unsplash
The wind gently stirred the branches of the huge elm tree in our rural Wisconsin backyard. My brothers and I sat on the lower branches, eating Popsicles and looking up at the snippets of sky we could see through the leaves and branches above. Nobody talked, we were relaxed, at peace.
A little later, Popsicles finished, lips stained blue and red, my younger brother plopped to the ground and headed to our swing set. We followed, choosing swings to the right and left of him. In unison, we started pumping our legs, floating higher and higher, until the old set started “bumping,” which meant the legs would come off the ground and slam back down as we swung forward and back, forward, and back.
The loud “bumps” always got our hearts racing, and we egged each other on, trying to summon up the courage to go just a little bit higher. We’d always get to a point where it was just too scary and, without saying anything, we’d gradually wind down, gliding back and forth without effort or pumping, slowly descending to earth.
This scene played through my head this morning as I read through our annual playgrounds issue. While our swing set doesn’t hold a candle to the playgrounds leading manufacturers are designing for today’s kids, it does have one thing in common—the sense of freedom and joy we sometimes struggle to recapture as adults. Is there anything quite like the feeling of floating above the ground, air streaming past your face, clouds passing overhead, friends next to you giggling or just talking about whatever is on their mind?
I don’t think so. It’s why I love this issue each year. I can’t help but think of the pure freedom playgrounds are providing some kid, right now as you read this as well as the freedom that will come from the next one installed by your department.
In any event, I hope you find some inspiration inside and, if you do, maybe some time to head outside for a quick swing on your local set. Who says swinging is only for kids? Well, maybe the manufacturer, but I’m sure they’ll look the other way.
Have fun out there!
Till next month…
Rodney J. Auth
Publisher
