“It is the child in man that is the source of his uniqueness and creativeness, and the playground is the optimal milieu for the unfolding of his capacities and talents” Eric Hoffer (American Writer, 1902-1983)

It was with that quote in mind that I grabbed my camera on a warm Spring Friday evening and headed out to a very special ribbon cutting ceremony for a new playground in the neighboring town of Denton, Maryland. I was reminded of exactly how special the ceremony was by the undistinguishable smell of hot dogs cooking on a grill which was being tended by some of the local moms and dads. It’s strange how something so ordinary like the aroma of hot dogs combined with charcoal can instantly carry so much meaning and even awaken dormant memories. That rustic fragrance took me back to my first little league season when my dad and I shared a hot dog after every game. The new playground at Denton Elementary School was indeed worthy of ceremony and red ribbon. Denton is a small town on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay and is the county seat of Caroline County. So although the new playground is located behind the elementary school, the playground will serve families from all over the county. More than anything, the playground is a testament to what can be accomplished when a community, local government and local businesses such as West Recreation, who designed and supplied the playground, become united to accomplish something larger than those entities themselves. Of course, it helps to have those entities comprised of pragmatic, unassuming and sensible people as was illustrated at Denton Elementary School that Friday evening.

As I walked around the perimeter of the new playground and observed the interaction between the exuberant kids and their ever attentive moms and dads, I began to realize that Mr. Hoffer had perhaps overstated the importance of playgrounds. Maybe they have less to do about capacities and talents and more to do with simple pleasures like creating friendships or getting a push from dad on a swing, or perhaps a mom or dad sharing one of those grilled hot dogs with a child.