My childhood park had a merry-go-round. A big red and white one that we heard all sorts of warnings and horror stories about – you’ll break your arm…you’ll be thrown off and broken … one kid got sucked under and you should see him … (and my favorite) you could get your head cut off.
Perhaps the first two stories are possible, but I still loved that thing.
Merry-go-rounds are a thing of the past. Playgrounds have taken them out and destroyed them.
But we found one.
We were at our Stake Camp for a ward camp-out and our little family went exploring. We reached the end of our campground and helped ourselves to the one next door. There we found it.
It was smallish. It was homemade looking. It was sitting next to a swing set.
A merry-go-round.
The boys weren’t exactly sure what to do with it, but Kevin and I quickly taught them.
And as Ricky lost his grip and nearly got thrown from it, I thought for a moment, maybe it was a good thing I was told all those horror stories …
Then Kevin and I got on without the kids and it all came back to me. The rush of spinning…the world tilting…the G-forces trying to fling you off …
And I thought to myself,
Nah! This is the best playground toy ever!!!