meanings of spring

Many words in our English language have multiple meanings. I'm thinking about the simple little word spring. Without doing any prior research such as looking in a dictionary, a lot of uses come to mind. Spring is a time of year, one of the four seasons, the one where winter ends, and new leaves sprout, and birds flirt and dance and build their nests.

Spring is a coiled piece of metal with many purposes. When you wind an old-fashioned watch, you're tightening a tiny spring. There's a spring in a pogo stick. (The toy called 'Slinky' is nothing but a spring.) There are springs that keep the car chassis from bouncing too hard when traveling on a gravel road, and you can see springs on railroad car wheels. (I don't know the lingo about train mechanisms.) There are springs that pull the farm gate or the kitchen screen door closed after you swing it open. There is a spring in many ball point pens that permits us to tuck the inky point away so it doesn't smear on your shirt pocket.

Another use of the word spring is regarding a natural source of clean water, where the pressure and movement of the water below the ground forces the water to the surface through some natural passageway, like a chasm between rocks. Some surface ponds and streams are fed by springs. Many such springs have been turned into resorts or recreation areas. Hot Springs in Arkansas draws vacationers and people in search of healing. Our visits to a hot springs in southern Alberta, Canada are memorable - breathing the Rocky Mountain air - so cool and crisp - while immersed in a large pool nestled against a cliff, a pool of hot soothing water rising right from a spring. It's source must be very deep to be so hot. Here in Austin, Texas, Barton Springs draws swimmers, especially in the summer, where the 65 degree Fahrenheit water is a treat in contrast to a 100 degree afternoon. (Historical accounts suggest that many such springs were popular with those who lived in North America long before the arrival of the Europeans and Africans.)

There is a verb, to spring, which is to leap like a wallaby, a hare, a frog, or a kid competing in the 'broad jump' part of a track and field competition. There are even fancier springs for people who participate in gymnastics.

Amazing how far one can meander with one humble little word.