There were just so many atrium activities that a child could pursue if the doctor's office's solitary Pac Man arcade game was already occupied. And, let's be real here, there was ALWAYS some germy, office bully whose sole job in such situations was to be the Pac Man Machine Squatter. No matter, though, the Atrium was where the real fun was at. One of my favorite games was to dig through the everlasting wood chips to see what treasures I could unearth. Sometimes, If I was lucky, I would find such goodies as stickers with the backs still attached or almost mint-condition Highlights magazines. Unfortunately, the number one prize to be had in this wood chip wonders game was the soggy, papery stick from a previous "sickie's" lollipop.
A truly special occasion was underway if the atrium's habitat was enhanced with one of those "woodland animals background sounds" cassette tapes. In such a case, the game to be played was to see who could spot the boombox hidden in the shrubbery first!
Those atrium attributes were mere child's play compared to the Disney World of atriums. Children of the 80's, you probably already know where this is headed...that's right! the mystical, wishing well/penny fountain atrium! I can remember the chills that would flow up and down my spine upon entering an atrium adventure-land and hearing a fountain before ever seeing it. The only thing that comes close to this feeling is the anticipation on Christmas morning. You KNOW something fantastic is right around the corner, you just have to find it! And find it we would! You can keep your ipad minis and smartphones, nothing helps pass the time like tossing pennies into a shallow, rock-rimmed, pool!
Alas it is all too few and far between that I happen to stumble upon an atrium of old during these "sleek and modern" times. You can bet your bottom dollar though, that when I do come across one of these dusty relics of childhood, I take a moment to soak up the office building ambiance, and, if given the chance, I toss my bottom dollar (or penny) deep into the dried-up fountain and wish for a rebirth of the atrium. I shudder to think of a world in which the office building's natural habitat is no longer composed of wood chips and plastic plants. Blog save the atrium!
*Dedicated to Becca
