Mukilteo Musings

Seattle Center International Fountain

The Seattle Times in its Northwest Weekend section today had a delightful article about Seattleites love of fountains (by Young Chang). It is kind of funny in a way because just about anywhere in the Seattle area one can manage to enjoy lunch within view of natural water. But we love our fountains, nevertheless, and we particularly love the Seattle Center Fountain.

After 9/11, the Seattle Center Fountain became our grieving point as people gathered there to mourn and throw flowers. A letter to the editor today was calling on all of us again to meet at the fountain to mourn and throw flowers for Spain. The fountain is near the Space Needle and was created at the same time for the 1962 World's Fair; it is huge---200 feet wide. When my kids were little, I was hesitant to sit by it because it was steep, uninviting, and against the rules to go in. Of course, people still snuck in it.

Rather than enforcing the rule to keep people out, in 1995, the fountain was refurbished to be more level and to embrace and invite the public to frolic and enjoy. According to the article, "...the fountain has unofficially become Seattle's gathering place, be it to celebrate a sunny day or to light candles during times of sadness."

One of my favorite days last summer included the fountain. It was before we had to take our 18 year old son off to college. My daughter was in a drama class at Seattle Center. It was a beautiful day so my son and I perched ourselves by the fountain. Eighteen year old boys are really only 10 at heart and sure enough, my son was not about to stay out of the water.

He coolly walked in it, managed to avoid the jets and stepped out completely dry!! Ok, if he could do it so could I--just a matter of timing he explained. So I tried....SWOOSH....and I am soaked--hair clothes and everything. Oh yes, my son thought that was really funny as he showed me again how it was done. Needless to say, when we met my 15 year old daughter, she was horrified by her mother's hair and what I had done. But I loved it--the Seattle Center International Fountain is truly a special place.