Ode to childhood

Well, not an ode, exactly. More of a(nother) random thought. About how wonderful it would be to be a child again. Or, more appropriately, how important it is to take advantage of those rare opportunities we have as adults to abandon ourselves to a childish joy.

Like puddles. Or twirling.

My Aunt Liz took us shopping in Texas, and I found a wonderfully twirly skirt. I love this skirt. It's the kind which, were I capable of dancing, I would wear to a dance. It flares right out, fluttering and unfurling about my hips, and I took several opportunities during the trip to twirl like I was 8 again, arms out, relishing the feel and sound of fabric floating and fluttering up and out around my legs.

Do you remember twirling? How we would look into the sky (or the gym ceiling) and go 'round and 'round, faster and faster, laughing and giggling and shrieking with delight, til our feet tangled around each other and we toppled to the seemingly heaving ground beneath us as the world continued to spin before our eyes ... ?

I never got to the toppling, heaving, spinning part, but I was glad to twirl again ...

And then last night, a rare opportunity to finish work early and to go to the movies (Prince Caspian!). As I left the theater at a bit past midnight, the rain was continuing and the sidewalk was flooded. My gold-sandaled feet got a bathing as I felt like I was wading, rather than walking, toward the front of the building, slogging across the empty parking lot to my car glittering under the street lamp, covered in beads of water.

Splish, splash, squish, squelch ...

I looked around. There was no one left, and I felt a big ol' grin spreading across my face.

Now or never.

I scanned the gleaming black asphalt and found it -- the perfect puddle. I sloshed over to it, placed my feet together and crouched, my tan overcoat letting just a hint of the twirly skirt peek out.

With everything I had in me, I jumped ... and was rewarded with fantastic SPLASH! as water sprayed out in every direction. Perfect way to end a good night. I went home and dried out my cold, wet feet after that ...

Oh, to be a kid again.

In the meantime, I'll settle for good splashin' puddles and twirly skirts.