Few things represent summertime better than amusement park rides, and one of the staples of every amusement park is the carousel — commonly referred to as the “merry-go-round.” One summer evening a couple of months ago, I took a ride on the merry-go-round at Kennywood Park in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania.

This one in particular I have ridden at nearly every age of my life, since childhood.

More history and background on it is here, on the website of the National Carousel Association.  At the time (1926), a price tag of $25,000 for this grand carousel, whose maker was in declining health and living in Philadelphia, was quite a bargain.

Here is a mini-film with themes that represent the circularity of life, of individual lives, of seasons, against the backdrop of the all-consuming gentle motion and beauty of the merry-go-round.