For the past 11 years, tech has been a big part of my life. Heck it’s been a big factor in all our lives, but for me, it’s been how I make a living. Selling a wide array of the latest technology on the broadcast shopping channel QVC has been my day to day. I’ve been to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on a regular basis and had my hands on some of the greatest (and not so great) advances by the biggest tech giants across the globe. I’ve also met some of the garage-based inventors whose creations have changed the world, if maybe just a little bit. It’s been an absolute blast. However, this past weekend it was a pretty low-tech invention (that’s probably been around for hundreds of years) that brought the most joy. A rope, a tree, and a river are all it took for 3 girls under the age of 12 to turn an otherwise boring summer day into a memory that will last for years.
Yes, I love the all-American rope swing. Since its creation there have been all kinds of other summer fun products that have been marketed to us: the slip and slide (a classic), the above ground pool (not bad), even the Pool Punisher Inflatable Tank Pool Float available for $88.96 (I’ll refrain from comment and yes that product actually exists). All of these and more can bring the summer fun, but nothing beats the thrill of the rope swing especially when little kids are involved.
I’m lucky enough to live a long stone’s throw away from a river where rafts, kayaks, and canoes roll by with regularity anytime the thermometer climbs above 80 degrees. It’s a brilliantly colorful sight to see, the bright reds, blues, and yellows mixed with the brilliant greens of a wide array of beautiful Pennsylvania trees. Those massive trees also create a perfect support system for some awesome rope swings.
The great thing about the rope swing is most of the people who end up enjoying it have no idea how it got there. They just magically appear on some giant branch extending over a (hopefully) deep section of water. Who puts them there? I never know. They’re not sanctioned by any township or municipality. There’s not a “sponsored by” sign nearby. At some point, some brave soul must have said “let’s have some fun, climb up this tree, hook up a rope, and create some awesome.” If you are one of those great people, I, on behalf of rope swing lovers everywhere, would like to say thanks. You have made our world a better place. Your selfless act to create something for others to enjoy should be commended, and we should have parades in your honor.
I discovered my local rope swing a few summers ago, and it’s on my kids’ summer bucket list every year. That’s not a throwaway line. My 11-year-old daughter really made a Summer Bucket List. On there were things like go to a theme park, go surfing, and more. Number-1 on the list…… rope swing. Last weekend, we checked that item off the list, but I guarantee we’ll be back plenty more times.
Our adventure began when a childhood friend of mine showed up on my doorstep with his 10- and 8-year-old girls. My aforementioned 11-year-old was in charge of entertainment and the rope swing was her number 1 choice. For my buddy’s young ones, the rope swing was a new adventure, and they had no idea what was in store. When we arrived at the river, it must have looked like Niagara Falls to the little ones. They made their way through the woods to their take off point while my wife, buddy and I took the path to the other side of the river.
A few older girls were already in full rope swing glory, and when the little ones emerged through the brush there was fear and excitement in their eyes. One by one, those older girls soared through the air and screamed with delight before splashing down below. Then my daughter (by this point a seasoned rope swing veteran) did the same. Next, the moment had arrived. It was time for my friend’s little ones to fly. I’d like to tell you it was smooth sailing, that they grabbed the rope and jumped without a care in the world. That would sound nice, but it wouldn’t be reality. The truth was they were both scared to death, and the rope just stayed clutched in their hands as each of them stood on the riverbank looking down upon the slow rolling river below. Seconds passed. Minutes passed. My daughter gave some encouragement. The older girls gave some encouragement. Heck even passersby in tubes gave some encouragement, but their feet stayed embedded on the launching rock. As the 3 adults stood on the other side of the river, the thought crept into our minds that this might have been a bad idea. Maybe we should’ve just gone to the pool, but then it happened for each of them.
One at a time each little girl took a deep breath, a firm tug on the rope, closed their eyes, and they flew. It wasn’t graceful in any sense of the word, but there was a split second of magic in the air. They flew if only for a short time and came splashing down into the water below. Then just like the water washing across their bodies, the fear was washed away from their hearts. Joy took its place, and you can guess what we witnessed for the next half hour straight. Jump after jump and jump.
At the end of the day, there were 2 more members in the great all-American rope swing fan club. No tweets or TikToks needed. Just 3 basic ingredients, 2 of which Mother nature provided, the other thanks to that great stranger who climbed the tree and tied the rope nice and tight.
As we embark on what hopes to be another great summer, I’m sure plenty of tech will be with me and my family. I’ll probably watch the Stanley Cup Finals on my iPad from my back deck. I’m sure there will be movies played on my smart TV, and right now I’m typing this column on my MacBook Pro. However, some of those best summer moments are made with the simple things like a rope, a tree and a river.
Happy summer all.
