Fathers Day millennials start with a walk in the forest.
The Oregon Forest. Dark, green, and deep.
The ‘find a park’ map is dotted nearly solid around here.
This forest stuff is all over the place.
But it is Oregon, you expect trees.
What you also expect is no snakes, bugs, bats, or wild animals lunging for your throat in a suburban Oregon Park.
The Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District delivers choice views.
And it’s just what Fathers Day millennials need. And a few others.
If you get too adult with adult children on Fathers Day you miss the fun.
Instead of checking another date obligation on the calendar, make it a fun date with friends.
Don’t miss the fun. Go to a park. Slide down the slide.
If someone says, “slide all the way out and crash on your butt,” ignore them.
They’ve probably just had bad zipline landings and want to see someone else roll in the dirt.
It’ll happen, so you’ll have to deal with it when a mom with their kid in a stroller asks why you’re at the park with no kids.
You’ll have to say something.
Or tell them to talk to the kids.
If you do Fathers Day millennials without them, it’s not Fathers Day.
And you don’t get to re-teach them swing upside down.
“Lean way back. Further. Now get ready to jump.”
A little bit higher now. Go.
Maybe a lot higher.
Swing harder.
Pull back and kick up.
Once more.
All together, now.
You can’t plan this stuff.
It’s a new Olympic sport: Synchronized Swing.
Judged on height, distance, and form. Like diving.
My kids on a swing? Of course I told them to bail out.
And they did. I’m still laughing.
Fathers Day millennials give their parents a flashback, a quick time journey twenty five years back.
Walk it in, walk it back out. The beauty in the day is who you spend it with.
Get it right and plan the next one.
What do you do for Fathers Day?
Did you at least break a sweat?
… 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25.