The Playground

Let's all go back to simpler time...... not yesterday. Let's go a little further back. Let's revisit those grade school days. You remember kindergarten through about 4th or 5th grade? As I recall we for the most part were in one classroom all day. It wasn't like high school where you moved from class to class. You were cooped up with one teacher and about 25 other kids. There were 2 things you looked forward to in those days. One was lunch and the other was recess and not necessarily in that order.
      Recess would come around and the bell would ring.  We would all run out to the playground to play. you had to be motivated or all of the good rides like the merry-go-round and the swings were taken. There were the monkey bars and the see-saw but I preferred the swings.   If you didn't get there in time you would just have to wait for someone to get off so hopefully you could take your turn.  There was kickball and chase. We had freeze tag and a variety of other games that could occupy those little minds of ours.  That was the greatest thing, we could always pretend.  I would say a little imagination carried us to a lot of places. To the wild west, to the moon and back. We could take a journey anywhere. There were no limitations, a stick could be a shotgun or a bazooka or even just a stick.  Soft clods of dirt or pea gravel could be ammunition to fight a war of upper class-men. You could invent your own sound effects for emphasis.  We would play hide-go-seek and we got pretty good at it.  of course if you were sophisticated enough to have a girlfriend at that young age you just spent recess with and talked about absolutely nothing while you were missing playing with your buddies. Yes men this is where we first learned to make those life changing sacrifices. You had to make a choice which was more important at that young age. Holding this girls hand (maybe if you made it to that point in your relationship) or playing with your buddies. You had to be quick about planning your recess. Sometimes it was done by a very sophisticated messaging system called passing notes.  It was a very dangerous way to communicate because if you were caught the whole class might get to hear what you had in that note. Then there would be something else for everyone to do at recess and that would be to make fun of you. I reiterate you have to be quick making your plans because you only got 15 minutes on that playground.  It was a sight all these kids running in different directions. It was not boring I can tell you that. We all looked forward every day to that time on the playground.
       Do you realize that playground taught you some life lessons?  I know you are saying Huh?
What lessons.  One lesson was, it didn't matter what color a person's skin was, or what their financial portfolio looked like, we all just got along. I could play astronaut with anybody.  We could just pretend away or play kickball or spin each other around on the merry-go-round. It really didn't matter.  There was another lesson we learned. We did not have to spend money to have fun. Our imagination took us to all kinds of places but it never cost a dime. We learned the value of friendships, some that would last a lifetime. That guy watching your back as the upper class-men came in for their assault  had to be your best friend right? We learned about love and broken hearts. You might have had your first crush right there on that playground. Sometimes they only lasted 15 minutes. Girls were fickle then and it was all about perception by your peers. If her friends did not perceive you as cool you were out and it was on to the next boy.
     It's amazing the things you remember. About a month ago me and Cee went to a park her dad used to take her brothers and sisters to. He would sit and watch for hours as they played and had fun. We were there maybe an hour and while it was somewhat fun, it wasn't like the old days. The slide looked shorter and the swings my feet don't dangle anymore. We grew up but we took the lessons with us.  It was a simpler time but life lessons were still taught. Sometimes you just don't see them until years later.  What did the Playground teach you?  Personally I learned that merry-go-rounds still make me sick.