Although the idea of service is one that is perhaps overused in rhetoric these days, it does seem as though it is underused in practice. There are many different ways to be called to put one’s time and energy toward helping others, and ample opportunities in the world. However, very few actually take the call seriously, and learn how to engage in the art of giving oneself. It is as old as medicine itself, which is to say, as old as human culture. In the same way that plants have always been used to take care of ailments, human beings have always found a remarkable capacity for compassion .

It isn’t only the human species that shows compassion, of course. There are many other members of the animal kingdom who are capable of sensing another’s pain. But it is human culture that has learned how to standardize and perfect its own techniques for dealing with suffering. It is a very old lineage that one is entering into, then, to enter the healing arena, where medical assistant schools may have the most up-to-date technologies, but the sense of compassion is somewhat timeless. It is this that is what ultimately leads one toward the impetus to make the idea of service into a practice, and the call can change the lives of the healers as well as those who are healed.

Life in modern day America is about choices. Not just the big choices of where to live, whom to marry, and what job to take, but countless everyday choices. In a regular day Americans choose between paper or plastic, thirty flavors of ice cream, ten brands of toothpaste, and the endless varieties of coffee drinks. Even buying something that sounds as simple as a swing set actually triggers a very long list of additional choices to be made.

Choosing a swing set begins with selecting the materials used in constructing the set — and every element can be considered individually. The frame can be made of steel, aluminum or even plastic. Swings may be hung by rope, chain or molded plastic or rubber and swing seats come in canvas, plastic, rubber, and wood as well as blended materials. While many sets are standard, it is possible to customize sets, choosing each feature individually.

Then there are choices about accessories and additional equipment. A set will have swings, of course, but it can also sport a slide, ladders, towers, bridges or be attached to monkey bars. With the advent of modular playground equipment , there are countless configurations that can be created, making each set a unique play experience.