Future Helicopter Parents | Two Gen-Xers on a scary carnival ride, 1971.
Giant Swing! Toddlers on a Scary Carnival Ride at a Texas County Fair
When I first saw this 35mm slide image for sale I knew I had to buy it. Featuring two Gen-Xers on a scary carnival ride known as the giant swing, it was taken in East Texas in 1971. It is a glorious visual representation of the dangerous Gen-X childhood widely documented in sardonic Internet memes by ye former latchkey kids and slackers. Also, historians, demographers, and sociologists.
I spent at least an hour staring into the face of the little brunette girl trying to figure out what she was thinking. Is she worried? Annoyed? Pissed? She appears to be around three or four-years-old and possibly asking the question, “Why don’t I have parents?” lol… Also, look closely. She’s holding the little boy next to her, protecting him, making sure he either doesn’t fall out of the rickety swing or isn’t nabbed by the creepy stranger taking the photo. I love this picture so much.
If your Generation Z kids ever want to know why you are a helicopter parent, just show them this picture.
Do you remember going on scary carnival rides as a kid? What about the giant swing?
Scary? No, I had the Kiddie Park roller coaster…
Was that the one in Bartlesville? I think that was before my time but I remember hearing about it. We had Kiddie Land in Los Angeles. I loved the Ferris Wheel with enclosed cages. lol.
That’s the one. It had some ups and downs but is still going. In non-pandemic years, anyway.