The Tirana Pyramid is a well-known landmark in the city, on the main boulevard between Sheshi Skenderbeg and the university. When I think of pyramids, I think of Egypt, of course, and of the Mayan and Aztec pyramids in the new world. Something in the way that the shape evokes mountains obviously invites climbing.
The Tirana Pyramid was built as a monument to Albania's cruel dictator, Enver Hoxha, and was a center for communications for many years. Now, it is a decrepit, graffiti-covered trash pit, more or less, although the current municipal government has ambitious plans to turn it into a center for digital technology innovation and training.
It's also a kid magnet. It's something of a rite of passage for kids in Tirana to climb to the top, and yesterday my kids and their friend S. did just that! It was such a beautiful day out, that I suggested we all ride our bikes to the lake after school. Well, a simple bike ride turned into extended playtime in the park by the lake, and "can we stop and climb the pyramid?" on the way back!
My heart was in my throat watching them become little ants before my eyes, ascending on a slant, raising their arms in triumph at the top, then inching their ways back down again.
Last year we enjoyed reading the Secret Series by Pseudonymous Bosch. In the first book, The Name of This Book Is Secret, our hearts were in our throats reading the thrilling story of Cass and Max-Ernest who sneak into a pyramid-turned-spa to rescue their friend Benjamin from the nefarious designs of Ms. Mauvais and Dr. L, who want to live forever.
Whatever the context - communist Albania, Egypt, the Americas, a book of fiction - pyramids seem to confer a sense of magical power. I love that my kids met this challenge, this Albanian rite of passage, scaling to the top of this new height. I love that they came back down to earth, grounded with me again.
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