Swinging on a Star

My dad built a swing set in the back yard when I was little. It wasn’t like most kids’ swing sets. He strung a heavy chain between the two trees on either side of the yard. The chain was about 30 feet above the ground. From there he hung two more chains down to the ground in the center and attached a board between them to sit on. A rope was also attached to the cross chain and one person would pull on the rope and cause the swing to gain great speed and altitude for the person sitting on the board.

But I found out that it was more fun to swing on the rope itself, so my dad got the swing out of the way and put a board in the noose at the end of the rope. I would stand on the top level of the climbing bars he had also made for me. The top was about eight feet high. I would put my right leg through the noose so I could sit on the board that was fixed there. Then I would hook the rope across my body and behind my left shoulder so that it was in effect behind me and out of my view. Then I would dive off the top of the climbing bars like Superman flying off a roof. Basically lying belly down in mid air, I would swoop across the yard and sail up to nearly the second floor window of the house. It was a lot like flying. It was absolutely wonderful. You could go high.

I have often had flying dreams. Lots of people do, and so I don’t know if I have them because I’m like other people or because of my swing set. Dream experts say flying dreams are indicative of ambition and aspiration. Maybe, but mine were indicative of a desire for freedom and power. Things I still seek.