Dianne was looking at the slide. “When did this happen?”
“When did what happen?” asked Leon.
“When did play-parks get so… boring?”
“What do you mean?”
“Look around. When I was a girl, the parks had seesaws, and springy rides, and climbing frames over cement.”
Leon looked at his wife as she kicked at the sand. “Is that bad? Those old rides were dangerous.”
“Well, that’s what I mean,” she said. “They were also fun. Think about it. Do you remember getting hurt in a play-park?”
Leon laughed. “Sure I do. There was one time I was playing ‘King of the Hill’ with Billy McKarthy. I was standing on top of the round climbing frame and he reached up from underneath and pulled my feet off the bars. I hit my chin and bit almost through my tongue.”
“I can tell from the smile on your face, that’s not a traumatic memory.”
His smile faded, and he became thoughtful. “You know, you’re right. Billy was my best friend. I wasn’t mad at him and I got to brag about my stitches for ages.”
“Kids are missing out,” sighed Dianne sadly.