Hi. I’m Marla. Gimme a Minute. No really, I’m only going to take a minute. I want to talk to you about playgrounds.
I appreciate the upkeep the city and county maintain on the play areas. Boulevard Park, Elizabeth Park, Blodel Donovan and Lake Padden are my favorite parks, just to name a few.
I live across the road to one of Whatcom counties many public parks. While I love the convenience of living that close, I am also occasionally painfully aware of living within earshot of the playground. Especially at one o’clock in the morning when the teenagers are playing on the swings.
When my kids were little, it was great, really convenient; although I lost count of the hours I was a swing slave. Higher mom, higher.
I was always struck by the jungle gym. Every park has its own. All of them are different. No two kids play on it the same way. All the ins and outs, highs and lows, places to challenge yourself, or just hang out and watch the other kids try to reach you. You can show off your skills, or fall off and crack your head open if you aren’t careful.
When my daughter was about 4, she climbed to the very top of the structure at Whatcom Falls, and walked across it like a balance beam. I had to hold my breath and pray she didn’t fall off, without scaring her out of trying to conquer it all by herself.
Yep, the jungle gym. The playground’s own little metaphor for life.
