Childhood in the Park

I remember having to go to so many of my cousins' birthday parties. The memories I remember best are of my cousin Tracy's apartment and the tire swing right outside their door. We would sit, swing, and spin on that tire swing until the sun went down. I was a daredevil as a kid and I would always do the "superman" while on the tire swing. My cousins would sit with me on the swing and another cousin would push us around and around. When I felt like we were spinning high and fast enough, I would stand up on the tire, then let my feet go off of the tire while still holding on the chains with the entirety of my life. I was superman then. Flying around and around with my arms out in front of me and my legs behind me.

We had many names for the types of push that we wanted to do. I can only remember three of those names, which are called sky high, tornado, and the banana. All of these spins I loved, but the one I enjoyed most was the sky high. Whenever I did the sky high, I did it alone. I would lie down on the tire swing, and my cousin would push me up high and in a circle of moderate speed. I would stare up at the clear, blue sky and imagine that I was off the ground and way up in the sky, soaring like eagles and planes. My long pony tail would swing around like propellers keeping me up in the air.

I used to be able to withstand all the spinning, but now I always fall to the ground afterward with my head whirling about until my brain got back into its usual and still position. Just thinking of tire swings now, makes me vomit a bit in my throat and my stomach turn upside down.