Thursday, May 28, 2015

Day 149 - Dangerous Living

"The merry-go-round was the favorite ride."

During my childhood the merry-go-round was one of my favorite pass times. Today I can't get on one without inducing vomiting. We would jump off the swings and run ourselves in dizzy circles around the merry-go-round for hours.

There are two parks I know of that still have the merry-go-round. One is in Newport Beach and the other is in Loma Linda. I guess kids were getting hurt or there was a time when someone said that the merry-go-round wasn't an acceptable part of a playground.

On some levels I think that the precautions are out of hand. We need to let the kids run and play. Blood and bruises are a part of childhood. I am not saying we need to have death traps on the playground by any means. The metal slide was a torturous device in the summer months. We need light plastic slides that can be enjoyed year round. But where is the merry-go-round? Were kids flying off and knocking their heads? I must have missed the news headlines that kids were getting hurt or worse on the merry-go-round.

I purposefully take my kids to those two parks to let them experience the joy of the merry-go-round. I want them to run around and around and then laugh and scream when daddy pushes from the side.

Throw caution to the wind! Merry-go-round riders unite!

What was your favorite activity at the park? What do you remember doing as a child that could be viewed as dangerous today?

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