By LeTretta Jones, May 31, 2016 — I have always enjoyed the summertime with its color of flaming bronze burning with blazing sunlight. In my youthful years, it was my time to run and turn my face up toward the sky to feel the sun on my cheeks. It was my time to play and have fun with my friends while squinting at the sun until sweat ran down my face. With my hands stretched up toward the yellowness of the amazing blue sky, I would run, run, and run some more.
Those lazy, hazy summer days, I recall how the sun looked and felt as it shined on my skin, changing its tone to a deep golden bronze while changing my hair to a reddish brown color. In those days, feeling the sun’s warmness upon my arms and legs as I lay watching ants crawl out of anthills or rolling down a grassy knoll felt so soothing.
The schoolyard playground was one of the places I went to fill my summer days. While there, I used weaving loom and stretchy weaving loops to make colorful potholders. I also knitted plastic lacing and pony beads into key chains or bracelets. Afterward, I got on the Maypole Swing so I could feel butterflies in my stomach. I called it riding the butterflies. The Maypole Swing was a pole mounted on a heavy base. It had a wheel mounted on the top with chains and thick knotted ropes attached. Everyone grabbed a rope and ran around as fast as they could until…LIFTOFF! You had to hold on for dear life or face being thrown five feet or more if you let go. You could also be certain that sometime the chain next to you was going to slap you in the face. With excitement and danger like that – it really is amazing that we played on this contraption all day long.
My summertime visits to Soupy Island in New Jersey was another venue that provided me with plenty of sunshine, fresh air, and fun. We took the ferry on the Delaware River from Philadelphia to this park. There, I rode around and around on the hand-cranked carousel that played music as it turned. During the ride, we viewed pictures of different cartoon characters painted over the years on the carousel. Next, we moved to the giant wooden sliding board. Zooming down the giant sliding board while sitting on wax paper was so exhilarating. Later, we consumed the free bowl of soup served with chocolate milk and graham crackers the park’s staff offered.
On days when it got too hot, I played in the fire hydrant outfitted with a sprinkler. I liked how the water ran down my hair in torrents and I used my hands to squeegee the water off my hair. I noticed how the water beaded up on my skin, providing hydration and preventing the hot sun from burning it. Sometimes, I went up on the roof and sat in a lounge chair. I spent hours daydreaming while watching the clouds. As they floated by, I could see the shapes of animals, birds or sailing ships.
I continue to accept the joys of summertime when the sun washes over me with its vibrant colors. It is the feel of the hot sun on my skin providing the promise of happiness and regeneration that gives me some of the best days of my life.