First Toy

One of my earliest memories is playing on the swing set in my backyard in Michigan. The metal bars were a deep blue and the plastic and rubber parts were yellow. There were two traditional swings, one swing that two people would sit on like a horse back-to-back, and a slide. The chains that connected the swings to the mounting bar were silver, but covered in a smooth, blue plastic material that prevented the chains from rusting and felt better to the touch. The fondness I have for blue and yellow to this day probably stems from that swing set.

I remember the way the swings would creak when they were pushed to their limit, or at least to the extent that my tiny child body could push. On summer days I would suddenly get attacked by wasps that likely took up residence in the metal bars, which inspired my lifelong hatred and phobia of the winged demons. In winter, the snow would accumulate high enough to bury the swings, leaving only the blue bars exposed. While my child self was sad that I couldn’t play on them, my adult self finds joy in the thought of frozen, dead wasps.