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Swings (as in the ones on playgrounds)

A

AKweathergirl

Well-Known Member
Hello there fellow aspires,
I was just sitting here, with a glass of wine, looking back at the nightmare that was my public school experience. One of the few bright spots I remember was the pure, unadulterated BLISS I felt on the swings; all the way throughout young adulthood. I would swing and swing; I'd pump my legs and arch my back until I got the chains to snap from being beyond perpendicular to the ground. Then I would lean against a chain (usually right side) and just let inertia do the rest. I would absolutely, positively, 100% zone out. I did this on a regular basis until my late 20's.

Must have looked strange. A grown woman, swinging like a maniac on a grade school playground or park.

Did anyone else love the swings? Was this a positive stim for any other Aspies????

Have a terrific Tuesday!

AKweathergirl
 
I've seen a few adults on the swings, usually during school hours when the park is relatively child free.

My personal preference is the basket swing and the tire swing.
 
I can't say that I've seen many adults doing that... Conformity here in Scotland is such that it is normal for adults to have a go on the swings every now and then, but only when they do it in a mature manner, you'd get more than a few looks for twisting and spinning, though it's doubtful that anyone would say anything. They'd just silently judge you. :D
 
I have very fond memories of times from my childhood on the local swings. When I was a young child of primary school age I spent many an afternoon messing about with friends on the swings. Later on in my late teens later at night after the younger kids went home the local swing park became a place to have a few beers and smoke cigarettes but we were always very respectful and never left a mess for people to clean up afterwards.:)
 
I have loved swinging into my mid twenties. Haven't been near any recently, so can't test whether it still feels the same.
 
@AKweathergirl: I loved the swings too & I remember twisting them up & letting myself spin out. There's a park 4 houses down from mine & often the swing area is empty because everyone in in the pool or walking on the trail or the bike path that is connected to the park so it leaves me free to go swinging in peace. This is one occasion where being tiny is advantageous: from a distance, I just look like some kid in the park & not a possibly nutty grown-up. THey don't have tire swings at this park. They have those ones that are like a leather strap. They no longer have chains attaching them because some kids suffered pretty serious injuries from getting a finger stuck in them. What they do have, that is fun,is rather deep sand all around them so you can swing really high & hurl yourself off through the air & land relatively safely in the soft warm sand.
 
I used to have problems with the swings as a young kid, apparently I didn't know to hold onto the chain haha. But later I enjoyed them. I haven't been on one in a few years but they are fun, kind of like puts me in a trance a little bit just swinging back and forth and letting yourself peacefully be where you are, thinking whatever thoughts come and go. When you really think about it, what a great, simple invention.
 
I definitely enjoyed them. They were pretty fun. I remember that I liked pushing the limits on how high the swings could go.
 
My female friend & I used to go to a park & use the swings. My son & I often went to the same park. As a teenager we sometimes "tested" the swings at a park. They were always fun. I remember an old fashioned wooden playground at a camp I took my son too. They had the spinning wheel whatever it's call...the one that spins around & people get disoriented.
 
I liked the swings at school and the one in my back yard.
It was metal pipe in cement, not the colorful light weight
store bought swing set. No chance of flipping over----like
the one the girls next door had.

Tire swings were ok, too-----except on the day that the
rope broke, the tractor tire & my cousin both landed on
my chest. My grandpa carried me to the house and the
whole time I was thinking....so, for the rest of my life I
won't breathe? But my uncle the chiropractor made me
breathe again.

I liked swings with wooden seats because you can stand
and pump in them. Can't do that in those butt-grabber
seats that are supposed to be safer than wooden seats.
Not easily, anyway. They squeeze your feet together &
make it hard to jump out.
 
My grandad was a welder and made us swings for our garden. I loved them but had one hit me in the head one day, and as they were made of metal I needed stitches. Oopsie!
 
Swings are still my favorite stim ever :relaxed:
I miss them, as I don't live near any.......
But will totally go for it on one (even though I am in my early thirties), providing there are no kiddies around who might want a go.
Actually my Mum and I were talking about how we love swings just the other day, and flying foxes. Seems I got it from her :blush:
 
Yes I loved to swing too. We had a swing made of steel pipe at home firmly concreted into the ground, just like tree described. I also loved sitting up on top of the bar, daydreaming about flying.
 
Finding this post actually spurred me into getting an account and it's nice to find people with similar experiences. I was forced to stop when we moved houses and I didn't have the guts to use a public swing. But up until freshman year of college I was on the swing in our background for at least 4 hours a day. I would get cuts into my thighs from the plastic seat and the chain would rub against my hand. When I was around 15 i would get up at 6 during the summer to be on there before the sunrise, or even some days before school. It was a beautiful time and I would love to get back to it. Thanks for the op.
 
As a pre-teen and early teen I really enjoyed swinging as high as I could and then continuing with my eyes closed but I only ever used swings when there was nobody else around. I liked the solitude.
 
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