6 June 2020

Across our state today, playgrounds re-opened.

We had a visit (with our grandson) to a lovely playground near the footy stadium – heaps and heaps of things for kids (and the adults with them acting as pack horses for their drinks and snacks and changes of clothes) to do.

There were a lot of people there – unsurprising given we’ve been held back from these communal playgrounds for months. It was difficult to judge whether the smiles were bigger on the kids or the parents.

Despite the fact that we are in our second week of winter, our warm afternoon meant that the ever present ice cream van had a queue of eager patrons.

Not quite as big a queue, however, as the one at the large pub nearby. That particular playground has been missed by their regulars almost as much as the kids missed their playgrounds! 

The heady excitement in the last few days from adults discussing “where they were going” on Saturday – whether a restaurant or a pub, it was always destined to be a big night out for a lot of people.

The playground of the fit and the fabulous – the gym – has also reopened. One can only assume that those who were planning a big night at a pub or restaurant hastened to the gym first to get a little bit more fit and fabulous.

The playground of hairy women with dodgy fingernails everywhere also reopened – beauty parlours. So many people I’ve spoken to were very keen to either get stuff waxed, get stuff made look pretty again, or just to fix the self-care work of the past few months.

The playground of West Australians wanting to brag about their overseas holiday, Rottnest Island, has also reopened. The quokkas have largely had the run of the place to themselves (barring the odd few quarantine visitors), but their social media profile has been sadly reduced of late and they’re probably looking forward to getting their selfies back out there in cyberspace.

Other animals missing their deserved adulation are back in the swing of things with the zoo reopening. This is a wonderful playground for hyped up kids with their parents acting the role of pack horses carrying enough food, drinks, snacks, sunscreen, and changes of clothes to last their children a week.

All these things we can now do!

So many playgrounds to explore.

Watch out for the stampede of hair free, gymned up, nails extended, and relieved because their kids have finally had a great play outdoors, women heading off to the pubs and restaurants tonight. They may have a male partner with them, acting as a pack horse for their rain coat just in case winter arrives.