Swings (4/7)

This post is Day 4 in a series of seven straight days of blogging


Yesterday President Obama's girls came home from school to find a big surprise in their new front yard. Awaiting them in the lawn of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue was a brand new swing set. Apparently the girls were so happy that they spent hours playing outside even though Washington DC is experiencing less-than-enjoyable-outside-weather. Now, several former presidents have added things to the White House such as a bowling alley, tennis courts and a swimming pool, but the playground swing set has to be about the coolest addition of which I have ever heard. What ever your feelings about Obama, a swing set in full view of the Oval Office is a great move (fairly bi-partisan I feel).

I make no effort to conceal my love for all kinds of playground equipment, especially swing sets. I seriously can spend (and definitely have spent) countless hours playing around like a little kid on all kinds of apparatus. I enjoy the monkey bars, the firemans' pole is a good time, and if you get going good and fast the merry-go-round is a cheap thrill ride. But the best piece of playground equipment is definitely the swing set.

When I was going to college one of my favorite things to do was to go late at night to the Sunny Mart on the corner of Central and 15th to grab a cheap slurpie and head to the nearest park. In Holland, Michigan there are a wealth of parks and schools to chose from that are equipped with a variety of traditional, bucket and even tire swings. There is something about gliding back and forth, slurpie in hand, pondering life's deep mysteries. Actually, I think I might do some of my best philosophying at 2 AM on a swing set.

Living in Tegucigalpa has significantly changed my life style. I live in a city of over 1 million people that all live in a culture completely foreign to my West Michigan upbringing. It gets dark at about 6:30 and the city really is not a safe place to be walking around in at night. I don't have a car, so transportation can be difficult and sometimes I can feel SO TRAPPED. I can't walk to the park, spend sunset walking along the beach or even hop in a car and drive somewhere. For my introverted self (INTJ) there are siginificanly limited options for me to be by myself... at least outside of my house.

That's why perhaps the best discovery of the year was when I found a small little park in a new housing development during one of my runs... maybe fifteen minutes from my house! Now, I know this park is probably for community members only, but it is WAY underutilized. I don't feel like Hondurans share quite the same affection for playground equipment, and the lonely swings used to basically BEG to be used everytime I ran by. So I answered their plea and have probably made it out there a good dozen times this school year. At night you can look out and see the lights of the city scattered throughout the horizon. I sometimes think Tegucigalpa is best lived in during the day, but best viewed at night... it is beautiful.

It reminds me of spring days on the playground as a kid, and even late nights back in college, but this time with a fresh new feel that better represents this current stage in my life. These days I'm not sitting alone and tackling the world's big questions. I'm sharing these moments with a woman of God who came into my life in late August and is quickly becoming my best friend. When I'm sitting on those swings at night with Lauren sharing conversation, stories, and God-sized dreams I am struck by how extrememly blessed I truly am.

So needless to say, I think President Obama made perhaps the best move of his young presidency thus far. Something inside me just feels better knowing that the Leader of the Free World might be pondering and praying about the world's deep needs seated on a swing in his front yard.


The Obama's new swing set