on a swing

life is absolutely at its peak when you're on one, no matter what your age, your situation, or your gender.

Lately, my family has been heading over to the park and taking a nice night stroll after dinner. I haven't been to the park in a while, but just being there overwhelmed me with a sense of tranquility and serenity. I used to go to the park a lot when I was a kid, whether it be for birthday parties or just to satisfy the urge to go on a slide. But reality started and I was thrust into life as we know it--chaos, confusion, work--before I knew it, I wasn't a kid anymore.

I stepped onto the playground at the park a few days ago and I just breathed the whole sight in. It was night time so there weren't many people there. And it's quite sad really, to know that there aren't a lot of people who enjoy the park anymore. Everybody is usually so caught up in the real world. But what I realized is that the playground, or the park, actually is reality. It's the reality that we turned our backs on at so young an age. It's the innocence we left behind.

Strolling over to the swing set, I wasn't expecting much. But once I got on and started moving, everything, the world as I knew it, changed. It somehow made everything better. Facing the trees rather than the playground itself, I found that the sky was a beautiful array of colors. The orange street lights were surrounded by a pink glow, and that pink glow was followed by a lavender that calmed the senses. After the lavender, a deep violet that cascaded the sky, and then a navy blue that summed up the entirety of the night. To top it off, stars sprinkled the sky in little increments for aesthetics. Every single time I swung forward, that scene put my mind, and my life, at ease. The late night breeze engulfed my entire body as I swung to and fro like a pendulum; my hair blowing in the wind. It was easy to forget the pains and fatigue of the world.

Plus, I would love to be kissed on a swing. Now that would be perfect. =)

So thank you, park-restorer or maker.
I applaud you.
Thanks for snapping me back to reality.
The one I used to know.