I want to share this with you as it is from my new buddy Russell Whiles. What is really amazing is we have never met but because we are from the Osage and are Shidler high grads we are bonded together with common roots.
by Russell
by Russell
The huge maple tree that was in our front yard at the north end of Camp #32 was easy enough for most of the camp kids to climb. It was large enough to support a very substantial tree house, and one lovely summer, some of us boy carpenters tackled the design and production of a very respectable tree house, with hinged windows on all four sides, and a trap door to climb out onto the roof.
I really believe that the parents of the builders were amazed and maybe a bit proud of the project's outcome, although they never said so...we never asked permission to do the build, in the first place, and I know that ticked off my dad! But it was done, and it was solid and served us well, that tree house. The fact is, our young inquisitive, industrious, explorer-type brains did not go into shut-down, upon completion of the tree house! There was more to be added...next project, please...
We needed, for whatever reason, a rope swing. A "regular" swing, ya think? Nope..a daring, exhilarating, FUN rope swing! Engineering as best we knew how, we judged how far out on a horizontal limb we needed to tie the rope to be able to slip off the tree house roof, drop straight down until the arc of the swing caught us and swooped our bodies pretty close to the ground and way up in the air on the other side. Looked good...somebody needed to try it out.
The loose end of the rope was through a board with a hole in the middle, rope knotted on the underside...that was the swing seat. So the rider was to slide off the roof in sitting position...that was my starting position, to do the test-ride. I knew the straight-down drop was going to be the highlight, the tummy-turning part of the ride, and I had guessed that exactly right, yes Sir!
Now, the engineering blunder...none among us were particularly heavy kids. Nevertheless, when one swings a bundle of weight in a long arc under a tree limb that is designed to bend in the wind, the centrifugal force of the swinging weight pulls the branch down...down just enough, thank God, that our swing seat and my rear end BARELY swished through the grass! No bruises, no scratches, maybe just a slight cardiac event....
It was a near miss, one of those self-concocted childhood thrills that add a bit of wisdom and a whole lot of thankfulness to be alive! I believe we did adjust that seat, a little further up the rope.
Thanks Russell.
What did we learn from this:
gary@thepioneerman.com
I really believe that the parents of the builders were amazed and maybe a bit proud of the project's outcome, although they never said so...we never asked permission to do the build, in the first place, and I know that ticked off my dad! But it was done, and it was solid and served us well, that tree house. The fact is, our young inquisitive, industrious, explorer-type brains did not go into shut-down, upon completion of the tree house! There was more to be added...next project, please...
We needed, for whatever reason, a rope swing. A "regular" swing, ya think? Nope..a daring, exhilarating, FUN rope swing! Engineering as best we knew how, we judged how far out on a horizontal limb we needed to tie the rope to be able to slip off the tree house roof, drop straight down until the arc of the swing caught us and swooped our bodies pretty close to the ground and way up in the air on the other side. Looked good...somebody needed to try it out.
The loose end of the rope was through a board with a hole in the middle, rope knotted on the underside...that was the swing seat. So the rider was to slide off the roof in sitting position...that was my starting position, to do the test-ride. I knew the straight-down drop was going to be the highlight, the tummy-turning part of the ride, and I had guessed that exactly right, yes Sir!
Now, the engineering blunder...none among us were particularly heavy kids. Nevertheless, when one swings a bundle of weight in a long arc under a tree limb that is designed to bend in the wind, the centrifugal force of the swinging weight pulls the branch down...down just enough, thank God, that our swing seat and my rear end BARELY swished through the grass! No bruises, no scratches, maybe just a slight cardiac event....
It was a near miss, one of those self-concocted childhood thrills that add a bit of wisdom and a whole lot of thankfulness to be alive! I believe we did adjust that seat, a little further up the rope.
Thanks Russell.
What did we learn from this:
- This reminds me when my kids were young and I would say that one stupid mistake can ruin your life - luckily this one turned into a good memory
- Creativity needs a little rope but too much could kill you - think about it
- Friends are forever and our memories tie us together
gary@thepioneerman.com
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