Saturday rambling alert. Pick up a pen and paper.
List two or three things you really enjoyed doing as a child – things that you would normally classify as “playtime” but in your 7-14 year stint. You know ? That time when you were still a child but were not going to be one anymore and you just didn’t know it yet ?
As you write these down, try to recapture the feeling. Even if it feels a bit artificial in the beginning, stay with it.
This will be a very joyful exercise for those of us who have a very vivid imagination. For others it could feel a bit weird, but do indulge me.
I recently had a holiday in Thailand with the extended family. We do these every now and again but for the first time internationally and most of the gang was there. Age groups 3 to 75ish.
It’s always a good time these holidays. I don’t have a big friend circle and this is pretty much my social life. I enjoy it and the days go by nice and relaxed.
This time it was different.
The place we stayed at in Khao Lak, Phuket had about 2/3rds of the property as pools. Water everywhere. Some water slides, wave pools and the like. Mostly intended to keep the kids busy I think. But the joy of being together and under clear blue skies led to everyone feeling a bit adventurous. All age groups ended up climbing up a gigantic water balloon thingy while being hit by water fountains from everywhere. Falling down and laughing like a bunch of crazies.
My kids were a bit taken aback with this sudden reckless abandon by the usually sober adults I think. But my God, we had the time of our lives. It was refreshing at another level.
It made me wonder how and why have I deprived myself of more occasions like these ? When was the last time I played a relay race, or a throw-ball game or ‘stop party’ and the like ?
Usually we have the following reasons –
1. All my friends are elsewhere
2. It looks silly because I’m an adult
3. There isn’t any time
4. I want to but others aren’t interested
There could be many more. But I’m fairly certain none of them will be good enough reasons for not ‘playing’ anymore.
So what do we do for fun as grown up’s?
Party, some dancing in uncomfortable shoes, alcohol happy highs and Netflix. Some of us take our kids out to play and enjoy the second-hand happiness. What a limited range this is.
I do like dancing. But this was not my sole form of fun as a child. And I gave up alcohol.
I love some of those housing societies where adults will get down and play badminton. The most respectable adult game 😀
I want to be childlike from time to time. That’s the anti aging cream we all need.
What will you do for fun ?
Big hug. x
I guess this beautiful line from a song from “Begin Again” summarises it well – “Youth is wasted on the Young”. I am sure you will get what I am trying to say here…
In today’s world of constant ‘hustle’, we really need to throw out all our inhibitions and be that boy/girl again to rejuvenate ourselves…