An Inconvenient Playground

So, by the way, I hate this new lay out. I hate all the lay out templates actually, but I will decide on one eventually.

Anyway, Here in Europe, I've noticed that kids still play on the playgrounds...everyday. And they are made of steel, and have pebbles and cement as the base and the chains on the swings on rusty, and there may even be a nail sticking out somewhere on the sliding board. And there you will find hordes of families gathered every afternoon, smoking, eating, playing in the dirt pits, swimming in the stagnat ponds, and you won't here a mother scream "no!, don't touch that!" or: "stop! you're getting filthy!"

The children swing so high they fall off and land in the stones and get back up again and swing some more without a terrified parent running over to see if heaven for bid there should be a bloody knee.

Reminded me of the parks at home in the states. The ones made of rubber and fiberglass with recycled tire chips to give a safe landing. The parks, that for the most part remain deserted, because parents are afraid of perverts and it's such a hassel to get the kids in the car in the car seats and drive there. Plus, who really wants to leave the house since the new wii came in the mail?

I love these parks. I love that my kids come home completely filled with dirt and sand and that their pants are wet from playing in the water fountain. I love shaking the pebbles out of their shoes when they come home and scrubbing under their finger nails b/c they were creating something in the mud. You can find these timeless tiny parks everywhere within walking distance of your home.

I'll really miss these simple little playgrounds full of kids doing all the things we would never let our own kids do back home.