Flashback Friday - #1 - Teeter Totter

I thought it'd be fun to post some of the photos I took in 1992 when visiting my old hometown (New Middletown, IN) - I documented some of the stories I remembered as a kid - my plan is to post a photo and short entry each Friday. Let's see if I can do it! :)



#1 Teeter Totter

I was in elementary school one late fall day in New Middletown, Indiana. It was recess and all of the kids were outside bathing in the warm sunshine. For a good part of the playtime we had, I was playing by a tree; digging my toy cars in and out of the dirt between its giant roots. I decided to go ride on the teeter-totter for a few minutes before our recess was over. Someone (I don’t remember who) joined me. I sat on the green painted plank of wood, facing the brick building and went up and down and up and down. The time flew by. The bell rang unexpectedly and whoever it was that sat on the other side jumped off while they were low and I was way up high in the air. My side came crashing down with a huge thud and I bounced along with it. I was holding the metal handles for dear life, but didn’t have much time to react. I am not sure if I was just stunned for a minute or if I blacked out, but the next thing I remember is my teacher standing over me telling me it’s time to come in from recess –

I was a kid when the playground was installed – I remember the fund raisers we did to earn the money to put it in. When I visited and discovered that the playground was “gone” it struck a chord with me – you can always go back, but you can never go “home” again.