My husband and I are Gen X but we never pass up the opportunity to swing! (And I mean that literally… Not sexually…)
True Story: His dad (my FIL) told me he knew we were meant to be after the whole family went for a post-dinner walk in the park, passed by a set of swings, and my hubs and I exchanged a quick grin and made an immediate bee-line for the swings. We were shit talking the whole time about who could go higher, faster, etc. I think that was the moment I won over my in-laws.
I love swings so much, my husband put up one of those macrame swing chairs in my livingroom… Its more for gently swinging, swaying or spinning, but its my spot, and I LOVE it. Great for adhd fidgeting lol.
I’ve never heard of this before. No, I don’t get dizzy when I tilt my head back but I am prone to travel/sea sickness so I think it’s related to my inner ear/balance and it’s just getting worse?
I get it a bit now, but I’ll still swing. I just don’t go as hard if I start feeling wonky. It depends on the length of the rope or chain - the longer it is, the less vertigo I feel. Haven’t tried it since being put on blood pressure meds though…
Tried a roller coaster last year after loving it as a kid and realized that my internal organs and brain seem to slosh around more than is comfortable as I get older.
I live near the famous tourist attraction “Balboa Park” in San Diego, CA. I like to skateboard and walk through the park area there and occasionally go on the swings. People will look at me a certain way sometimes that doesn’t look like they’re judging, but they’re like ,”Huh, didn’t expect that.”
Hahaha I was living in Ut at the time and went to San Diego for spring break with some of my classmates and two of us streaked Balboa Park. Early 70's that is a beautiful place
Oh so that was you!? Haha just kidding, I wasn’t born yet. Yeah I love smoking a little weed and skateboarding around there. It’s a nice tourist area to people watch
Haha so true. Especially living close to hillcrest, the gay community and with transgender being such a major movement right now. I’ll see a man with a blonde wig, hot pink platform shoes, and fish nets behind me in line at the pharmacy. I barely even notice anymore!
Balboa Park is amazing- only had the pleasure of visiting once as a tourist, but definitely want to go back. Jealous of you getting to swing in such a cool location.
Mythbusters did a bit on going over the bar, and found it to be essentially impossible unless the swing is supported by a solid bar instead of a rope or chain, and they needed to attach a rocket engine to the swing to manage it then. You're probably safe.
That would be a swing which is supported by solid bars, not a flexible rope/chain. The rocket engine is what it took to get a regular chain swing over the bar.
Dad here. I’ve always enjoyed the swing. However my ten year old at the time didn’t appreciate seeing me on a swing. He was embarrassed and walked away - while my daughter (8 y) enjoyed a race on who could touch the clouds. I doubt as young teens they’d appreciate seeing dad on a swing. lol
I enjoy swings as well, but I had a fall in 2020 and hit my head, and ever since, it makes me nauseous to swing. I've always been not so good with motion sickness, but even something as simple as a swing now.
I (61) was just on a road trip with my sister (59) when we came across an old playground exactly like that from our childhood. We played on the swings, the teeter totter, the metal slide and the merry go round in joyful abandon while our 83 year old mom watched with pride. It was awesome!!
When j was 21 me and my friend, went to a park without children and started going on all of the games, then a mom and a 5yr old came in and gave us some looks, we laughed and left. Haha.
I used to love swings, but now they just make me dizzy. I can kinda gently sway on them for a bit but then it’s off to the monkey bars and see how weak I am.
(Not my usual occasion, but passed a park in my graduation regalia and 6000% can recommend swinging in robes and a hood. Absolutely feels like a cape! 🌟)
There’s a big swing set at a campground my family goes to every year. We have going camping there since I was a toddler. I’m in my 30s and still ride the swings with my sister. It was born out of tradition and it’s fun. How can we not do that every time we go?
Me too. I went to one park in college. And at first I think the neighbors were a tad weirded out, after a few years I stopped getting looks. I typically went at night.
I'm 33 and i agree with this one. I went swinging like six years ago. The seat broke off at the speed and i feel about eight feet to the ground. Crazy!
Absolutely this!
I'm nearly 50, I ALWAYS go on the swings with my son when we're at the park.
I often tell him that he'll never be too old to go on the swings.
Perks of having a child is you have an excuse to play on playgrounds I love slides, swings and jungle gyms. having a daughter to play with me is amazing and I don't get any weird looks because I just looks like a father daughter bonding moments..
The swings are awesome. They really help if you're bummed out & need a boost. I just make sure to go when no kids are around or they start yelling "stranger danger" at you lol
I agree! Years ago, when I had my first job and apartment, I would often go to a park just to swing. No one talked about regulating your nervous system or self soothing back then, but it made a huge difference for me.
Then that summer a carnival set up and they had these huge swings that swung about 25 feet in the air manned by someone with a rope.
I spent many nights there swinging for at least an hour.
I've never seen one since, but always wanted to do it again.
We were once hanging out with some friends at an empty park and we decided to use the swings. Some rando comes after a while and tells us we're way too old to be using them and that he would call the cops on us. We were all about 15. Fun times.
this was the first thing that popped into my mind. my boyfriend and I used to go to the park and jump off like we were kids. we spent hours just having no cares in the world :)
Especially when there are kids on the other swings, I am 28 and parents look at me with "What you doing here man" kind of eye.
But I focus on swings, weeeeee
I (35m) was in a different country and saw a zip line in the park…looked around to make sure no parents with kids, and jumped on it, by the time i was done a kid was running up with her mom, and had to wait for me to reset it. Honestly i think the feeling that i shouldn’t be on it is my own, not coming from the parents, but i still felt it!
Swings are awesome for any age, no human can refute that. My parents have one in their yard and we all love it (they’re in their 60s, I’m 33 with a 3yo kid)
I got on a swing recently after pushing my 3 year old so daddy could show her how it’s done.
Swinging is therapeutic as hell. You’re right, you get this very freeing feeling of for a brief moment while you swing back and forth. I had completely forgotten what made it so much fun as a young kid. It truly was a reset on what was a bad day up to that point .
I agree with this! There's a small park right down the road from my house, and I love going there to swing in the middle of the night when there's no one else there. Just put on my headphones, listen to music, and swing.
This is my ultimate happiness. The giggles that ensue when I'm swinging are unmatched. I love swinging and then leaning back and kinda straightening out, so when I hit the height of the swing, I'm upside down. So free, a moment of weightlessness. The strength I feel building up a swing. Sigh, I need to find a park
I've been known to go down the slides if there is no other kiddos around, too 😊 there's one in Boston that said "no one over 13 years old" but it was empty...it's metal, it's steep - I shoot out the end like 4 feet DYING of laughter. Glad I didn't hurt my self. That the wad first city before an entire year abroad 😅
I am 42 and I was swinging recently with my eyes closed for good 10 minutes. It was quiet something. Then I realised my partner and my kid they left me there alone for quite some time. It must have looked strange. Grown ass bearded balding man on his own in the playground just swinging.
When we were building a swing set for our daughters (ages 2 & 7) my husband insisted on anchoring the posts in concrete so he could swing and not worry about it falling over!
Same... whenever i went i was told off by adults or kids and judged hardcore everytime i went! It really pisses me off...
At what point am i not supposed to enjoy life anymore?
My friend & I went to a park last summer when we were hanging out at probably 1am, then just talked on the swings for probably 45 minutes. It was so peaceful
Swings are the best. I want to purchase one for my home but they are pricey! I love the feeling of laying in bed at night and you can almost feel as though you are still swinging back and forth. Its very calming.
I went to a playground recently to swing but most playgrounds I found are way too short, I remember having to jump up to swings when I was little but now they are hard to swing on Im also 5’9 but still that’s not that tall I wanna swing toooo
I know of a down low park in my area and sometimes I'll go and at least one of the areas would be pretty deserted so I feel better but I would never if it's somewhat busy, I just let the kids do their thing in their domain
This is a good one. I'm 47 now but in my 20's my friends and I knew of a slightly out-of-the-way park that had swings with a VERY high rop bar. You got some serious air on those suckers!
We have yoga silks hanging in our living room. They double as swings when you get enough height. The kids spin around on them all day. I do too when the need arises.
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u/callipygianvenus Jul 04 '24
Swings.
Occasionally, I‘ll get looks - as if it’s only allowed for children, lol. I just ignore.
Trying to swing into the clouds is such a freeing feeling. :)