Perhaps it was a dare. Or maybe one of us suggested that Dad was too old and couldn't possibly do a somersault on the bar of the swing set. It wouldn't have been like him to accept a dare but it would have been like him to prove a point: at 44 he could still do what his youngest daughter could do.
I was the one who, at 6 or 7 years old, could hang by my knees and swing, hang by my ankles and pull myself up to sitting, and do somersaults on the bars of the swing set. My sister and brother were both too old to be interested in the swings when I was that age. But there we all were outside one summer evening watching Dad do a somersault. Was it I who ran inside to grab the camera?
I suspect that if my father were still alive and saw this post he might not be too pleased. But honestly, how many 44-year-old men can still do a somersault from the top bar of a swing set? It's an accomplishment worthy of remembrance, right?
I'm hoping my brother or sister might chime in on this photo and share their memory of the event. Maybe one of them will remember the whole story.
Note: My brother responded to this photo with the following note. "This happened around the time was about 18 or so. I thought I'd 'show Dad a thing or two.' I did a back flip on the swing set and was pretty proud of my ability and agility as well. Turned out Dad was more agile than me at his age than I." Thanks for the clarification, Bob!
I'm linking this post to Sepia Saturday 334. Click over to see what photos others are sharing this week.
--Nancy.
Copyright © 2016 Nancy Messier. All Rights Reserved.
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I'm pretty impressed, I have to say!
ReplyDeleteNow that I'm older, I'm impressed, too. I didn't give much thought to Dad's ability to do a somersault then.
DeleteI'm impressed too. Not knowing your Dad, I nonetheless have to think that if he were with you today he would have a smile at seeing this lighter side of himself.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I was not aware of Sepia Saturday, so thank you for the introduction!
I would like to think he would smile at the photo now, John, but for all the times my aunt commented that my father had a great sense of humor, I didn't see it very often when I was a child.
DeleteGlad you found Sepia Saturday. The community is very supportive and nearly everyone visits the posts of all the other submitters and leaves comments. Maybe you'll participate?
A perfect photo for this weekend! It captures a delightful moment of motion, something rare to see in a parent since they were usually behind the camera.
ReplyDeleteMy father gave me a very inexpensive camera when I was young and I took lots of photos. It was probably not my father's intention but I ended up with many photos of other family members. But your statement is true for me now: I'm rarely in a photograph because I'm behind the camera.
DeleteThanks for visiting and leaving a comment, Mike.
Great action shot! When I was about 12, my father was helping me do a somersault over the bar of a fence, but instead he inadvertently pushed me down onto the bar and one of my front teeth was broken as a result.
ReplyDeleteOh, Jo, how awful! I broke a front tooth when I was ten (though not with the help of my father) and the rest of the experience surrounding that tooth was just awful -- trips to the dentist, a root canal without anesthetic, an ugly repair.... I hope your experience was not so awful. Your father must have felt horrible. Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment. I appreciate it.
DeletePretty impressive! I am so glad you caught the moment with a picture!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Michelle. I'm glad to have a photo of Dad's acrobatic skill, too.
DeleteThat's great! I have a picture of my dad jumping rope. He jumped like a boxer barely lifting his feet off the ground, very tight hand movement swinging the rope as opposed to large arm movements.
ReplyDeleteDid your dad jump rope on a regular basis, Wendy? With that kind of control it almost sounds like it. It's great you have a photo!
DeleteI love the way he's hanging from the top bar. We hung from the side bars but were never brave enough for the top one!
ReplyDeleteI suppose he was too tall to use the side bars like I did, Jodi, but I never graduated to the taller bar. I think I gave up the swing set before I was tall enough to manage the height.
DeleteIf I'd gotten in that position I think I'd have been stuck. Wouldn't have been a pretty sight. Hurrah for your dad!
ReplyDelete