Based on my generation from age eight to ten I loved playing at Lawrence Park in Tucson, AZ. Every time my parents would ask, “where do you want to go” I would literally yell, “the park!” Being bored inside all I wanted to do was play tag, run, and climb the monkey bars all day. Lawrence was the one destination where I could be free: no one telling me to stop running, be quiet, or keep my hands to myself. I can remember having the time of my life as a kid enjoying myself at Lawrence Park. Hopefully I could say the same for an older generation and future generation compared to my experience of play.
Arriving in the small parking lot, I instantly hopped off from my mom’s old brown car. Getting hit with a breeze of fresh air outside, smelling the wet grass, hearing the bees buzz near the blue trash cans, causes my heart to start beating fast like popcorn being microwaved. Moving my head as if I was an owl, searching for my mom, “mom can I go play” repeatedly like a broken record, she responds, “yes, go ahead!” Jumping with glee, sprinting like a cheetah on the black pavement leading to my favorite playground I called “The Yellow one.” Then, as I left my head up my eyes began to open wide.
Closer and closer I get to the entrance I could see the red velvet ramp that leads to a small baby slide and a set of blue faded monkey bars on
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the opposite side. Connected to the ramp is a cylinder tunnel passage way. Coming out of the tunnel on the right side is an exit and to the left is a long, wavy snake, red wine colored, monkey bars. In front, is a tall ladder leading to the best slides. One of the slides is tall and narrow, quick like a lightning bolt, and the other slide has a huge single loop. I had finally arrived! Grasping the red handles, I blocked the walk way on the ramp to ask the children taller than me, if they wanted to play tag. Nodding their heads like bubbleheads they shouted out “yes!” Instantly I said, “your it” and tag the person near me and all of us scattered except the person I tagged, as if the kid was holding a type of gross-green vegetable. Turning around quickly I ran up the ramp and jumped into the small tunnel, on my knees and hands, crawling like a baby until I reached the end. Coming out of the hole I was hoping Jacob was not behind me. Gasping for air I curved my head and there he was, chasing Arianna by the yellow bright slide. Climbing up to the highest point of the park I started to shout “nah-nah-boo-boo you can’t catch me” having confidence that Jacob could not get to me. Getting bored I slid down the slow slide and unaware of who was near me I got tagged while I was sitting on the bottom of the slide, and then I formed a sour face. Next, seeing Tommy run pass me, I immediately got up and ran holding my hand out trying to reach his back. Running as fast as I could, I finally felt his sweaty cotton t-shirt and ran the opposite way saying, “your it” with a smirk. Worrying about nothing except running away and not being it was the only thing on my mind. As time passed by, parents were gathering their children yelling, “let’s go” as they held out their hands to grab the child’s tiny hands. Still running around, I did not want to leave the park. It became darker and darker so the lights to the park automatically came on. Only a few children were left, but new ones would come along and join in the fun game of tag. Hearing the voice of my mother I knew what that meant, it was time to go home. Stopping completely what I was doing, a grey cloud came above me, and I started walking slowly toward her. Looking back, I waved good-bye to all my new friends I had made. Getting into the old beaten- down car, my mom said, “don’t worry the parks not going anywhere, we’ll come another day” and I looked up at her and said, “okay” still a little upset. But, until next time, I can’t wait. My mother, Yolanda Valenzuela, who is forty-years old and part of Generation X, has had her own experience of play. I interviewed my mom on Saturday in the living room of our house in Tucson, AZ to gather more information on how she played between the ages of eight to ten. As a child she would play at her grandma’s backyard in Houston, Texas. She described it as “A typical backyard with one large tree and filled with grass.” Unlike me, my mom would play with her cousins instead of friends. Which shocked me because I loved interacting with older and younger kids. My mom’s cousin she hanged out were also a mix of different ages, but she would hang out mostly with Melinda and Pelon who were sister and brother. They would play “kickball, hide and go seek, tag, and cops and robbers.” The only game I played at the park was tag, because it was simple and fun. Also, “with cousin Jennifer we used to have dance contest,” unfortunately I had never been in a dance contest and would of love to use the park as my stage of performance. My mom’s favorite experience she discussed with me is “being able to hang out with cousins and when we all got money for ice-cream and go eat it in the backyard,” this reminds me of when I would give my mother a hard time from leaving the park and she would say, "if you don’t stop crying, I won’t buy you ice-cream!" Of course my favorite experience is when no one could tag me. Running and jumping everywhere as if I was on a sugar rush I was untouchable. It was a great feeling of accomplishment especially when the kids would say, “she’s too fast.” It’s all fun and games, until someone starts whining.
Me and my mother both have had a bad experience when it comes to playing with others. It wasn’t fun anymore “when we couldn’t agree on rules of the game, then parents would get involved.” Same for me, there was this time when little Jenny couldn’t tag anyone, so she would fake cry and as soon as you checked to see if she was okay, Jenny would tag you. Which was unfair, because she did it all the time when she was it, so I said, “no more fake crying.” Others thought it was okay and others disagree, resulting in an argument of who's right and wrong, wasting time that we could be
playing. Unfortunately, there was no playgrounds or parks near my mom, so her only option would be for her parents to drive her to grandma’s house. When I heard this I felt depressed that she couldn’t experience the fun I did playing at the park. She would also only go to her grandma’s house during breaks and over the summer. My parents would take me to the park at least four times a week which was great. “The Outsiders” is the name I have given my generation. As a kid I love being outdoors running around, especially because there was nothing to do at home. The only entertainment available to me was a small television screen hooked up to an antenna. Getting home from school I would finish my homework then watch PBS kids, but when that was over, I had literally nothing else to do. Bored out of my mind I would ask permission from my parents to go knock on Jessie’s and crystals door asking if they wanted to play at the neighborhood playground. Next, my mom would say, “are you done with your H.W” and I would say “Yes” and finally responding to me, “go ahead and don’t talk to strangers” is what she repeatedly told me when I was leaving the house. Nowadays when I go visit my younger cousins and see how my auntie Sandy is doing I feel like I’m walking into a Best Buy electronic store when I enter their living room. Right away I see this huge entertainment center with a wide High definition TV right up against the white wall. Surrounding the screen TV is Rudy, Selena, and Ashley sitting on the leather couch staring at their phones either texting, playing a game, or on social media. Also, Ralph the ten years old is always on You Tube watching videos of game tutorials in his room.o Due to advances in technology now younger kids do not get bored inside because of phones, Netflix, Xbox one, and game apps. I find this to be scary. I could see it now; technology is going to take over all physical activity. My children’s generation for play will be all technological. Playgrounds are going to be teared down one by one replaced by hologram playing fields. Just a click of a button and game characters’ pop up to verse other opponents. Instead of playing basketball, soccer, and football, my kids will be the ones controlling clones to kick, throw, and catch the ball for them. If my future children Johnathan and Katana just stand and sit all day I am frightened they will become overweight and get diabetes. I am also scared to ask Katana, “how do you kick a ball” and with her responding, “just click X” I would explode. I do want intelligent children being able to use new technology, but healthy ones as well. Therefore, I will make sure Johnathan and Katana at least will play a fitness game that actually have movement like the Wii fitness we have today and go on daily runs, hoping for the best. In conclusion, I am thankful for being able to have the opportunity to play at the playground at Lawrence Park, unlike my mother and future kids who did not have a play area to slide down slides or climb monkey bars. Also, I appreciate my mother taking me to the park even though she didn’t have what I had growing up. Instead of taking me to grandmas all the time liker her parents did she tried something new with me. I realize now how important it is to balance out my generation and my future kid’s generation of play.
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