I find myself at one of the playlands in our city and suddenly it strikes me…

I actually like to hear the sounds that I currently have around me. The pneumatics from the rides, e running of small feets and the happy screams and laughter that actually echoes in here.

I mean, if I was at home, this screaming and running would pretty much reduce me to a grouch at any given second, but here… here it makes me smile. My kids are happily climbing away at e huuuuge set that is here, I see them at tremendous speeds sliding down the slides and their shrill screams gets mixed in with the other childrens outbursts of purer joy at playing.

I can now see why sometimes older persons sits around playgrounds because it is a way of remembering your own past, the time when you had limitless energy and you could spend it recklessly, just because you would have the same abundancy of energy the next day.

For some odd reason I find I could actually go here just to see, hear and take part of the kids playing, although in a passive way. the same thought also brings with it another one, one that is a lot less pleasant. I am a man, and a man sitting in one of these places, without kids is almost sure to make the parent radar use a damn foghorn to send warningsignals. “That guy is a pervert and wants to take my kids”

To an extent, I think i would join in on that thought, beacuse what if that guy is sitting there have the same feeling of inner happiness at just watching the kids play with the same feeling of nostalgic joy that I now feel?

When did the world turn out this way? That we, as parents are afraid to let our kids out of sight on the playgrounds, with the absolute certainty that something bad will happen the second they are alone? It really is sad that it has come to this.

Well, I cant really speak for the rest of you, but, I will try to let my children play as much as they can, and if someone is watching them play, smiling the same way as I am now, I will try to remember
this day, while at the same time, keeping an eagle-eye out.