Sunday, July 06, 2008

Free Like a Bird, Part 1

For a baby or toddler who is all too often stroller bound, what is the opposite? The best answer I can think of is swinging! It brings sunshine, wind, and exhilarating, electrifying movement (vertical, forward and backward.) No wonder kids dig it. I would too.

Perhaps the 1st time I observed such stark contrasts was the summer after my freshman year of Undergrad. I had the great dumb luck to work at Touch of Nature's Camp Olympia, a summer camp in the Shawnee Forest for special populations. It was not just the many headspinning excursions - - such as taking a set of 18 - 55 year old, wheel chair bound CP's (cerebral palsy) rappelling down a 75 foot cliff - - but the calm glee of the campers, in this case as they bumped, scratched and scraped their way down the face of the cliff, (while others controlled their descent via belay lines). The upshot: an invigorating visit with one's old friend Fear, akin to what you see from Paul below.

5035900-R1-047-22

Stretching Out - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2004 (click for larger image)

1 comment:

Jomster said...

Hey S,
Great pics!
I have tried and tried in vain to get Nivedit on the swing and she is positively mortified by the experience of being swept of her feet.

Concuring with what you said and knowing that kids actually love doing this, I can only conclude that we're doing something wrong :(

Jomy