August 7: Zuckerman's Swing, Kid Paradise, I. O. U.

Mothers for miles around worried about Zuckerman's swing.  They feared some child would fall off.  But no child ever did.  Children almost always hang onto things tighter than their parents think they will.

Zuckerman's swing is basically a rope tied to a roof beam in the barn.  By modern safety standards, it sounds like a head injury waiting to happen, but Fern and Avery climb to the hayloft and launch themselves on the rope over and over without serious bodily harm.  E. B. White is correct.  Children do hang onto things tighter than parents expect.

The resort I'm at is a kid paradise.  It has a water park and candy shops and toy stores.  There are mountain bike trails and zip lines.  My daughter, son, and nephew have had a great day.  I have been dropped, swirled, and drowned in many a water slide and pool.  I have ridden a ski chair lift to the top of a mountain.  Twice.  I've seen magic shows.  Made s'mores.  Eaten so much pizza that I'm going to have indigestion for a week.  Like I said, kid paradise.

On Thursdays, I'm supposed to talk about the latest book I'm reading.  I had every intention of fulfilling this obligation.  I'm reading a great book-length essay about the giant squid (it's much better than that very brief, mundane description).  Unfortunately, my day in kid paradise has curtailed my plans to review this work.  Therefore, I'm giving you an I.O.U.  In the near future, I will be discussing Preparing the Ghost by Matthew Gavin Frank.

Saint Marty promises.

Hold on tight and don't scream!