A bead of sweat rolls down your temple as you stand in the beating sun. You wait for a breeze to relieve your burning skin. You look down at your phone only to find that there are no Pokemon nearby to distract you from the heat. You walk downtown until you hear a cheerful noise of a crowd. Then you see it in your sights -- it's just what you need -- a giant slip 'n' slide.
On Saturday, July 16, in Springfield, MO, a massive slip 'n' slide stretched down Boonville Avenue. Slide The City had been advertised and talked about throughout town for several weeks leading up to the event. Volunteers woke up early to blow up hundreds of inner tubes. As the temperature rose and the sun bore down, it came time for the fun to begin. Several Springfieldians lined up to be first in line, ready to take on the long slide. Throughout the course of the day, hundreds of locals slid down Boonville Avenue. Starting at the square, the slide was several blocks long and ended at the end of a long hill. A DJ showed up to play music for everyone. The square itself was full of water games and included bubble soccer. The event began at 10:00 a.m. and lasted a few hours but it was still going strong around 4:00 p.m. The DJ asked the crowd if they still wanted more of Slide The City, and they answered with a cheer.
I had the privilege of observing the event myself. I met with some pals to walk to the square and watch our community engage with each other. The temperature was in the 80s, but I recall it feeling more like 96 degrees and I could feel the sweat rolling down my shoulders. The water slide was the perfect thing for a day like that. The water that sprayed down was inviting and it attracted many swimsuit-clad Springfieldians. Hundreds showed up with different intentions. Many came to slide down the street themselves, others came to simply observe, and some were only interested in catching more Pokemon. Whatever their motive may have been, Slide The City drew a lot of attention and gave the city a reason to be together.
What made the Slide The City experience special was not the slide itself, but the chance to interact with your community. It would not have been the same if only a few friends set up a slide together. I'm very grateful to live in a city that strives to create safe, engaging environments for the community. It was the people of Springfield that made this silly and crazy event possible. So here is to you, Springfield. Thanks for thinking of some crazy cool ideas (and hopefully traditions). Let's keep it up!
