End of the Innocence

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To every thing there is a season, I suppose. Yet for the past few days I've been toying with the idea of removing the swing set from the backyard, and as you will note it has seen better days. It's not very much to look at, and the damn weeds grow up through the stones I had carefully laid down about eight years ago.

Last night I was plucking some of the weeds out of the ground and clearing a lot of the stones away. I didn't actually shovel or rake because of the back, but I started the chore. I couldn't help but think of the time spent on the swing set - Sam took the most advantage of it, often swinging high with the neighbor. Other than that, Rocco and Farrah spent a little time swinging away. Taking it down makes me feel like I'm taking something away.

Yet it does little more than sit there now, taunting me with how ugly it looks when grass in the spot would make the yard look so much bigger.

Why does it bother me so? Well, I think of how proud I was when my brother and I got it set. I had transported about 7,000 wheelbarrows of stone to the spot after Kathy had dumped it in the driveway believing that it would take about an hour to wheel it over - it took 8 hours.

My bro had built the swing set and poured the concrete for me. He also assembled railroad ties in the front for an edge, but the termites ate the wood that I had taken the time to paint - and paint and I don't get along too well - but I'd done it.

And I thought of the old swing set that we had years and years ago on Shirley Road - I thought about swinging next to my brother John - we were always together - always swinging high for the sky - never quite making it up and over the bar.

And I thought of what seems lost to me over the last bunch of trying days - and it made me realize that childhood is really and truly over for me - not bad I made it 44years feeling like a kid.

My kids won't even miss the swing set and in a few months time, new grass will cover the patch of land, and it won't seem like such a big deal.

Yet taking down a swing set sure feels a lot like losing the innocence of youth when reaching for the sky was just a normal day in the sun.

Comments

Larry L said…
Those were the good ole days before Xbox, PS3 and Wii. Just going outside in the morning and nobody worrying about us until dinner time. Our kids cannot do that anymore.
23 July, 2009
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