Why I am thankful for swings (and why you should be too)

As Thanksgiving was only a few days ago I thought I would take advantage of this blog post to express my gratitude for this special object that is the swing, this very ordinary piece of wood or plastic hanging proudly from two tight ropes clinging to a tree, a crossbar or anything solid enough to support a child's weight. This lonely memory of our childhood, impassive, silently oscillating to the soft touch of the wind. Have you ever considered the role this object played in your early years ? And have you ever tried to give it a second chance ? I will provide you with some knock-out arguments and I promise you won't be able to resist the temptation to jump on the next swing you meet and experience the swing-thrill again after.

            1- Swings are part of our childhood. And who said that following our inner child was an element that makes us even better people ? Actually a lot of extremely wise people did; you should just check out the number of quotations on this theme, as it is quite impressive. As a consequence, taking a few minutes to sit on a swing and rediscover your four year-old self probably won't hurt (only if your sense of balance is really primitive). You will forget about all the almost grown-up things you have to deal with and trust me it is totally worth it.

            2- Swings are at least as thrilling as rollercoasters. Imagine yourself sitting, your feet leaving the ground, your hair flying in a very romantic manner for a moment and then operating an incredibly fast U-turn and hitting your face, your eyes directed to the sky, the air rushing into your nose, your eyes, your ears, your clothes flying behind you, temporary Superman cape and your mind filled with nothing but a word « HIGHER »… Don't underestimate the swing-thrill.

            3- Swings are usually located outside and by that I mean that you can always use the fact that you have spent a few minutes on a swing to justify a whole afternoon of Netflix.

            4- Swings have been proven to have a beneficial effect on our sleep. Indeed according to scientists the movement of the swing could be associated in our mind to the gentle rocking our parents made us fall asleep with when we were babies. This association would thereby improve the quality of our sleep. How marvellous !

            5- Swings don't require a high physical investement but you can surely use it as a way to shape your body if you are determined enough.  This activity can be practiced as a way to relax and daydream a little bit by just gently swaying,  the top of your feet not even forced to leave the ground. On the other hand you can completely make of your swing session a gym session by swinging higher and higher, faster and faster and if you are very very determined without your hands on the ropes (that's doable but you should train first as I don't want to be responsible for any broken arms, noses, legs…). Again don't underestimate the power of swings.

I wish I could go on and on because I have several arguments left. Nevertheless time and space are starting to lack so I hope these points convinced you to be more thankful for swings. Who knows, maybe next time you walk past one, you'll give it a try.

Héloïse