Monkey - Bars

When I was but a lad, I remember trips to the playground and the the joy I had with the equipment. It was always the monkey bars that thrilled me the most. I mean, ziplines are great, but they only require that the kid hangs on tightly - the trip is over soon enough. Monkey bars had a sense of accomplishment in the suspension from the ground, that extra motivation that falling would be frightening for my short legs to brace themselves in time. I had the uncool technique of grabbing both hands on a bar before proceeding, instead of making it look as natural as a chimp - that enviable quality of using the momentum of swings to alternate holds.

There was even a variation on the idea of this monkey bar concept - one playground had a set of three angular wheels on an overhead frame. In this iteration, it was all about the momentum and timing. You would grab the first and ride it for half a turn, ending up on the other side, just within reach of the next. Sometimes the middle one would stick, leaving me becalmed and feeling foolish. The real challenge was to have enough momentum to make it to the end and swing 'round all the way back to the original platform.

Oh, it was so exciting and new in those early days. I cannot recapture the adrenaline rush and vague sense of high suspension I had back then. My legs and arms are longer, and now I can do the monkey bars while my feet are on the ground. I don't think too many kids enjoy the playgrounds anymore - parents view that equipment as dangerous and petition for safety measures that kill the excitement of fantasizing, "I am doing something cool and adventurous!"

I hope to view the same joy vicariously through the eyes of a child someday. It may not be when the child is enjoying the simple pleasures of monkey bars, but I will enjoy the wonder and joy of the young one all the same.