This really is a pet peeve of mine.  No see-saws anymore.  None of those merry-go-round things either, where the strongest kids would make it go so fast you had to hang on tight to not fall off and break your head.   I never had to push I was always so skinny, I was useless plus the stronger kids probably got a kick out of seeing me trying to hold on and not fly off.

God we had fun on the see-saws.  We learned about levers and balance playing on see-saws – if the big kid got on one side it would require two of us to balance it out on the other OR the bigger kid could scootch up on their side and therefore the skinny kid would have a longer lever arm with which to make the darn thing go up and down.  We didn’t know it, but we were learning physics.   We also learned that if you or the other kid gets off while you or the other kid is up in the air – well, we learned about gravity hard and quick – teeth jarring – remember?  And more than once I got my chin smashed because I didn’t quite get out of the way when the other kid pulled their side down to get on.  Mom!  We could have been rich! Rich I tell you!

I’m really grouchy about this tonight.  One time at Santa Maria playground I hit my head – it took awhile to live this one down – on the bottom of the slide.  I was walking under the slide, what can I say, I was weird.  I was also apparently a delicate little thing because my head actually bled.  It was not easy to explain how I had hit my head on the bottom of the slide.

Another thing, we played in the houses that were being built constantly all around us in our subdivision.  Man did we have fun.  In Illinois there were basements so it all started there – we’d climb down the rebar and play war on the dirt hills and play house once the house was framed out and the slugs that were punched out of the electric boxes were instant “money.”  No way anymore, we all know that.  We’d even – gasp – climb on the backhoes that were sitting there after the workmen went home.  Land sakes alive, how did we ever live through it?

It’s mostly the see-saws I am ticked off about.  We have gone to campgrounds and you can see where kids have made see-saws out of logs.  I just don’t think it’s good for a society when things like see-saws are outlawed.  Along with everything else that’s physically fun. Fortunately I have faith in young people or I’d be totally depressed about this.  Kids will figure out dangerous stuff to do to get their kicks, you really can’t stop that human desire.   My sons are into rock climbing – actually bouldering which is even crazier.  I am very philosophical about it – they love it.  I have personally known several people who died rock climbing since I’ve lived in California – interestingly enough they were all doctors.  Guess it’s a good antidote for practicing medicine.  Most people don’t die rock climbing though. Everyone said the same thing about these people, they died doing what they loved, and in my unspeakable grief I would say the same about my sons.

But hell, at least they won’t die on a see-saw.