The Impact of Wheel-Swing-Contraptions

Today, the heat index reached 105 degrees. In just one hour, my uniform was soaked as if I had jumped into a pool. Oddly enough, I never expected it to turn out to be one of the best days I've had this summer.

NCCC has taken on a mini-project this past week and a half, and all of the crew has been there for at least one or more days. Near Anacostia Park is Savoy Elementary, which has a playground, a playground that happens to be the best playground around. Once an open lot, in just five or six days it has really been a ground-up project.

Since our project with Heads Up ended last week, and our week with the Food Bank starts Tuesday, we had a good three days with the build. I was able to volunteer with them on Saturday as well, so I was able to contribute 4 days towards the project; 4 days of physical labor that I had been accustomed to during my first and second projects. Heads Up was indoors, air conditioned (not that I'm complaining), and the only movement it entailed was walking from classroom to classroom. Although the mental labor involved made up for it, which to my disappointment doesn't build muscle or burn calories.

Anyway, back to the playground. Having the opportunity to build a brand new park for the children of the community who really need a place to go to play and be together was something I appreciated being a part of, and also something that many residents appreciated as well. While filling up my bottle of water, outside of the park bar fence, a woman and a little boy were walking by. She asked if I was volunteering, and then said, "Thank you so much. He'll be playing on it," pointing to who I assumed to be her son. You had to have been there to see the smile on her face as she said it while her kid did the same while skipping, because the statement itself doesn't do it justice. When something like that happens it always instantly puts things into perspective, and it feels amazing to be doing something so good and big for someone, simply by spending a few hours building stuff, getting a work out, and not to mention a pretty decent tan.

Our final day at the build wrapped up today, as we were able to see the final product. A few hours of sweeping, organizing, and transfer of materials cleared up a brand new park, ready to be introduced to the community. We have a new crew essentially, as 5 newbies began with us this week, and they all were rock stars today, working through the heat and sweating their behinds off.

Several other people walked or drove by, asking questions about when the project would be done, excited for their kids to have a playground to go to. One guy drove by, and noticing we were finished, and simply asked if we were going to put rubber flooring on the ground. The answer was yes, and he drove on seeming satisfied. It seems everyone was anticipating the grand opening, and it was all about the safety and well-being of their kids.

I can't wait to visit again and see the playground in action. I made some pretty neat wheel-swing-contraptions, which aren't actually swings at all, so I'm interested to see how kids will use them. In any case, I look forward to once again having that moment where I understand my impact by seeing it in front of me.

So, you hear me, DC? The heat is no match for me; I've got unlimited amounts of tap water to fortify my being with, so I look forward to the next heat advisory. Bring it on!