SWINGING

I probably started swinging as a toddler. We had rope swings with two by six plank seats in our front yard trees and many warm summer days were spent aimlessly swinging. While swinging we learn to dream, sing, practice alibis, give speeches, make animal sounds and plan life’s major events. While pumping our legs and body for momentum, we go back and forth—forth and back and with the slightest pull left or right on the ropes, like reins on a horse, we can go slightly or completely side ways while swinging.

Swinging and dancing are very similar in that they both produce dreaming and freedom. When we have to dance alone, swinging is one great way to do it. A greater joy is having someone to swing and dance with, close together. Something happens while swinging with a lover; it’s the same thing that happens when dancing with a lover, it’s a uniting of hearts without speaking words.

A lot of my early swinging experience happened on the river near where I was raised. We had an old tattered rope tied high on a Cottonwood tree limb out over the river and a discarded tire tied to other end. This swing was used to develop your nervous system, move you into young manhood, to perform daring feats of acrobatic bravado and to learn to do perfect cannon balls at about a twenty feet drop into the river. The other swings at the river were the entangled and wonderful wild grape vines that grew all along the edge of the river. These could be cut and left attached up high and used to swing from tree to tree and out into the river with a very loud Tarzan call with each attempted swing. In a pinch the vines were also good for smoking.

Now swinging is a new pleasure. It is still a way to dream and also reminisce. It is Swing Therapy. It works like this: for impending decisions and dreams of any kind, go to a park and swing—swing until you know your answer. It will probably be the right one.

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens and I will give you rest…and you will find rest for your souls.” Jesus