i don’t want to grow up.
creativity.
As I was sitting in the lawn of Kuyper today, I saw a group of kids hanging out. They were running around, climbing trees and just having a good time. I heard one little girl tell her older sister to be the out of towner coming around a new place, the little brother was going to be the house help and she was going to be the head of the house hold. They played out that scenario for a while and then they were running around and hunting in the woods for an invisible animal and calling out to each other in a language they made up.
These kids could be looked at as weird (it kinda was at times), but I saw it as amazing. They were role-playing, having fun. Going into a world in their head and committing 100% to what they were doing; having fun.
We can’t be kids at all times, but we need to find the moments to get back to playing in the grass. My Dad did this last night, at a concert in Grand Ledge. A group preformed a jingle medley and ended with asking the crowd to join in with them singing the old Faygo jingle. I had no clue what the tune was, but as I looked over my mom to see my Dad, mouthing every word. He had this smile across his face and his eyes were brighter than the lights shining on the people on stage. I pictured my Dad in 1973; a 9-year-old kid in overalls, sitting on the shag carpet indian style, singing along with the TV, waiting for his favorite show to come back on. He was a kid in that moment and went from Fred to Freddy and the joy was visible.
Lately I feel like I have personally been getting back to the kid in me. I have been focusing on the things that bring joy to my life and committing to them 100%. Now I know I am not able to be in “kid mode” all the time, but in the past month I have seen live music, rolled down a hill, played frisbee, looked at clouds and played in the rain.
Take time to be a kid. Bang on pots and pans. Blow bubbles in your milk. Fly a kite.
Do that and try not to smile; it’s harder than you think.
Being the Catalyst 
You’re not Wendy’s…This isn’t a frosty…prove that I can’t smile! lol Love you. And the child in me loves to sing and dance ^_^
I did a bundle of cannonballs into a pool today 😀
i like everything about this post ^^
Last summer my friend and I sat down on the couch of his living room with old school Game Boys in hand and watched the original Power Rangers movie. I know this is a bad example of nostalgia because I’d do this anyways…but it was a try.
This is awesome ^
Your writing is improving rapidly, Dom. I loved this post, as I also have a great appreciation for the charms of childhood. Working here at camp, it’s very easy to get caught up in the more sober aspects of my job: the well-being of children, the integrity of my walk, the obligation I have to my fellow staff. It’s surprisingly easy to forget that, for pity’s sake, I spend all day playing with kids. This is a great reminder to me that it’s okay to cut loose and be just a tad bit insane.
Thanks, man.