Having left the planet of Wyandotte, never to return, we arrived in the New World of Flat Rock, and the first thing I noticed was structure rising into the sky, apparently built by the civilization that had previously inhabited this part of Walnut. I could hear the strains of Richard Strauss' "Also Sprach Zarathustra" as I approached it. . . wait a minute, "2001-A Space Odyssey" hadn't been made yet. . . anyway, it was built of rigid pipe, over 2" in diameter, and sunk deep into the ground. One end had an angled pipe bracing it, but the brace was never installed on the end showing.
The monolith had two ejection seats originally, later converted to only one in the center. You can see that there wasn't much else to play with, so I spent a lot of time learning about this mysterious structure. The open end where the brace should be was for English sparrows to nest in. The seats were to swing in, ever higher and higher, and attempt to break the world distance record in the frontal bail-out. The rear bail-out was to prove one's courage as a warrior, and to demonstrate how quickly one could duck one's head before being clobbered by the seat coming forward.
It took be several years to accomplish the feat, but once I could shinny up a vertical pole to the top, I could see enemies coming for miles.
Dad taught me to love Rust-Oleum, and the original silvery color was later replaced with his favorite; green.
Another pastime was twisting the seats until the chain was coiled and riding them as they untwisted, until one was too dizzy to walk.
It was a gathering place, too, much like the front porch, and the seats later became a measuring stick to register the growth of my siblings, and later, of our own families.
The swing has survived a tornado that removed the 25 ft. walnut tree that grew just a few feet away, and I have no doubt that it will still be there for future civilizations to ponder unless someone purchases the land who has no respect for the Sacred Swing.
4 comments:
Wow, what a great picture! Is that cute little you on the swing? It's so strange that there was no other stuff around. Is that photo taken facing the street? I really remember the twisted swing motion and it was amazing because the chains were so long. So much better than those short chains on public swings. I remember bailing out but was usually afraid to do it. When I did successfully bailout , and realized I was still alive after, I loved it! I was never strong enough to climb up the pole to the top but I admired that you could. You must have been the "Swing King" of the neighborhood. Do you remember how much fun we had playing Capture the Flag? It seemed we played for hours!
Hopefully the new owners (to be) will leave the swing...I could "shinny" up to the top (as Dad used to say) and would swing on it for hours it seemed. Now I can't even watch someone swing without becoming nauseated!
Oh what great memories of those swings! I, too, remember the dual-seater version of the swing. I remember at one time one of the seats was just a rubber strap that basically squeezed your butt as you swang; the other seat was I think just a piece of 1x6. By the time I got to the age I could use the swing, Jones' were next door and there was an electric utility cable that passed diagonally across the back yard. I always thought I could swing high enough to hit the cable with my foot - never happened though. I loved to bail out, too. I had forgotten about the elbow coupling at the top the birds used for nesting. I remember the support pole had just a small amount of concrete at the bottom and it was never enough to hold it down. So, we would often have one of us stand on the support pole end so we could swing as high as possible. I think Dad loved Rust-oleum more than any other paint. For him, I am sure he thought it was the most important discovery since the invention of penicillin. Virtually any and every piece of outdoor metal was coated with it - even the manhole cover! I can still remember the smell of it ... uh, the paint, that is.
I remember trying to hit the power line also...and bailing out...that was the best!! If the new owners plan on keeping the swing, they will have to invest in another seat..the wooden on is pretty shot. The paint however, looks pretty good. I think Dad could have been a rustoleum salesman!
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