Ben Dussault

The other morning after waking up from my 15hrs nap that was spawned from the most excellent over-consumption of desmond & beatrice‘s baked goods, I went to the beach to get some exercise. I noticed that in the jungle-gym where kids jump from one bar to another, some parents sit, watch and perhaps take a second to breathe.

From platform to platform, bar to bar just kids being kids and loving every minute of it. I just turned 30 and guess who’s back full force on the playground program? Yep, it’s me. As a teen If I knew what I knew now, it could have saved me the years of  physical fatigue and an out of commission mental state. I thought jungle gyms were just there for… well let’s just say, not pull-ups.

Fitness is all around me and it’s in the form of swing sets, monkey bars, pirate ships – a gym that takes the form of fun not unfathomable. Let’s go back to that sitting guardian I mentioned earlier. Being a parent cannot be easy. The ones that commit to their children and unselfishly sacrifice time/energy to better the life of another is a feat worth an applause (clap!). That being said I’m no expert on the topic of baby making/adopting. I have a cat, which my partner and I adopted from the Toronto Humane Society. But just the fact that I’m shrimping out of bed night after night so to not disturb the sleep of both her and the “bear’s” makes me wonder what kind of gaps I’d clear for my kid’s smallest request. If our cat loved to do pull-ups in the playground, I’d be set. Other than that he rules and I wanna thank whoever found him, we’re lucky to have this amazing addition to our life.

The playground is for everyone but at the end of the day it’s the kids that rule this environment. If  you ever played “king of the castle” you’d know right off the bat who was king/queen. I’ll give you a hint- it’s not me and if you’re over 12, it’s not you either. The only membership for this house needed is the approval of the youth who run it. They’re the ones who let us stomp around their turf and wait for them to be done with the equipment being used, after that we’re in and GTG (good to go! I know, I’m old school and not cool.) The only looks that I find questionable are from the parents themselves, who rightfully deserve to keep an eye out on us. I would probably be a little watchful as well if I saw a bunch of strange wanna-be adults working out side by side with mine.  What’s rad though is how the kids watch us in awe while we bartend our way around the park. There’s no judging just enjoyment and curiosity in their faces. If they look unsure it’s my interpretation to assume that it’s because we struggle and they don’t. Not regreting my abilities I watch, waiting patiently to tag along with those in their prime who while ruling this house just want everyone to effortlessly hang out.

When you’re a kid in the playground, everyone’s invited… unless you’re too cool for school.

Keeping “dad” jokes alive for 30yrs.

Ben