When did we unlearn to have some childish fun?
Hello again! Now you can also read the interesting answers to the 5 meme questions that I've asked my blog pals Luis and Jonboy - but don't forget to come back here, because I have something to share with you as well!
By the way, Carol is just too busy right now, but I will click on her name every day until she stops painting and starts answering my meme (I'm just kidding Carol, take your time!)
Now back to the initial idea of this very original post. What am I talking about? I liked one of Luis' answers so much that I decided to quote him and write this special blog entry. Are you ready? This is the quotation:
When being with my children I learn again I should laugh and smile much more.
Amen, brother Luis! Kids can make you laugh and if I look at them playing and having some uncomplicated fun, I sometimes ask myself: when did I UNLEARN to behave like that?
Do you know Adrian Plass' View from a Bouncy Castle story? Please take my advice: if you see a book written by Adrian Plass - grab it and read! (And don't forget to pay for it, because publishers and authors need to pay their rent too). Enough said. Let's quote Plass in order to convince you that you must buy and read all his books and please drop me a line in the comments segment to let me know what you think.
Many a frustrated half-hour had I spent watching my offspring ricocheting wildly around on their inflated playground, while I smiled benignly, concealing my fierce inner desire to join them. Always I was thwarted by the unrelenting presence of the proprietor, usually smoking one of those eternally dangling cigarettes, and occasionally coming out with professional phrases such as: 'Nobody over eight!' or 'This lot off - that lot on!'
The contrast between the dispassionate tone of these utterances and the tumbling joy of the kids used to depress me somewhat.
Now, for the first time, it was possible for fifteen years of frustration simply to disappear as I indulged my deep-felt need.
I have to confess that it took me a while to shake off my dignity and my shoes, but once I did it was wonderful. What the children thought about 18 stone of middle-aged man bouncing crazily from one side of their paradise to the other, I don't know. I wasn't too concerned at the time.
From View from a Bouncy Castle - Adrian Plass.
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4 comments:
Good question, Paul...when did we "unlearn" the playful joys of life: the laughter, the silliness, and the fun?
As I mentioned in my comment to Luis, I firmly believe that Jesus laughed while he walked on this earth. Laughter is known to alleviate our stress levels. It's healthy. It's fun!
I grew up in a family of practical-jokers. We always had some kind of silliness going on. We laughed...a lot! When my siblings and I, and all of our families, get together, you couldn't begin to imagine the giggles and laughter. My mother just shakes her head at us and joins in.
It would be nice if we could all look for the lighter side of life once in a while, and just try to have a little fun.
This is very thought prevoking. I spend waaaaay too much time being serious. I need to laugh more. I need a bouncy castle.
Thanks. This little lesson tells me to have some fun.
It's not necessarily that we have unlearned it but that others seem to think it's their right to suppress it in us. i.e. They tell us we look silly, tell us to grow up, tell us to act our age....
I still get to play and be silly - just ask my students!
We all need to look for the lighter side of life, as Vicki said, and make sure it's a part of our life.
I often wish I could go on those jumping castles! :)
I think I out grew it when I surpassed the weight limit on such contraptions. I also get motion sick from swings and bouncing now. :(
Give me the right medium and I can be a kid again in a second. My tolerance is shorter though, I have noticed. Not sure why.
I firmly believe that laughter is healthy and necessary in life. I can see Jesus laughing quite a bit actually. He had a serious mission, yet didn't take life to seriously to enjoy it, is my opinion.
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