The child in me
May 23rd, 2008 | By Chuck | Category: Papa PrattleMy life is good. The few complaints I have are brought forth, more often than not, by a bad day or a bad moment. Each of them fleeting though never as quickly as one might hope when in them. It’s in these low times that I reflect on the child in me and those things that can draw out the memories of the innocence of my youth. Those days when so much, and so many, did not hang in the balance.
of puddles and rain
When I realize the summer rain is inescapable it releases something inside me akin to childlike joy. The moment when the drops connect and run streaming down my neck. When I’m too far from my destination to make a run for it without getting soaked and I just stop. Stop. I raise my head to the sky with eyes partially open and a grin that cannot be squelched. In this instant I’m six years old again. The smell of the water washes over me and if I listen closely I can hear the childhood friends of yesteryear splashing in the puddles around me.
those little green army men
Once upon a time video games only consisted of a pong cartridge and an Atari paddle. While this was pretty amazing in its day it was not enough to lure me away from my bag of green army men for very long. Even today just seeing these little green guys is enough to make me feel like a child. I can feel the dirt under my fingernails from digging trenches by hand for them to hide in. The elaborate structures we would build with sticks and fallen leaves. The strategies we would develop. The lands we would conquer.
escaping with fear and wonder
I started reading for pleasure when I was pretty young. It wasn’t long before I knew the horror genre held something special for me. While I could get lost in just about any book it was those authored by Stephen King that didn’t like to let me go. The same was true of Poe’s short stories and as I grew into a teen the allure of Edgar Rice Burroughs took me deep into the jungle with a man that was raised by apes. Today books are the shortest route to the child in me. I refuse to let the rough texture of life soften the wonder that can be found within their pages.
creek beds and crawfish
Growing up along the North Carolina coast makes for a lot of wet fun. I would spend hours investigating creek beds near our home; filling mason jars with tadpoles and occasionally finding the treasure of a crawfish or young box turtle. This was back in the day when play clothes really were worn for nothing else and the smell of mud, no matter how often they were washed, could not be removed from my Levi’s. These creeks, and all they hold, still contain a magic for me today. If you happen upon a pair of worn tennis shoes on the bank of a creek and see a guy that looks a little too old to be playing with minnows, don’t be alarmed. It’s just me.
It seems that for many the meaning of becoming an adult includes letting go of the child. I imagine there is a point in time when this is true. When one believes those childish things and acts should be put away only to be stumbled upon years later when the opportunity to reclaim them may have passed. I don’t subscribe to this way of thinking. Being a good dad involves remembering and connecting with the child you used to be. While I know when to act like a grown up the child is always within reach.
What about you? What brings out the child in you?
A picture of me taken a very long time ago. Probably around 1978.
This post is my entry in a contest being hosted by Jeremy at Discovering Dad.
yo always blow me right away. Lovely lovely post! xo
amys last blog post..Home is where I want to be/Pick me up and turn me round
Excellent post, Chuck. Sitting here pondering this idea, I sometimes wonder if maybe I haven’t pushed that child away too much in an attempt to grow up and be “responsible”. The first thing that comes to mind is Halloween, when I really go all out in decorating and creating spooky scenery and effects. This brings me right back to my young days working with my brothers on spookifying our house every year.
toms last blog post..No, Thanks.
I think you just won yourself a Wii, brother.
Mr Ladys last blog post..The Object Pictured in the Shoddy Camera Phone Picture is a One Pound Slab of Butter
Thanks so much amy!
It’s clear from your writing that the child isn’t too far away; though some days it seems like an awful long distance to travel to find him doesn’t it? Halloween is the best. We don’t do much decorating but I still run from house to house. I highly encourage quantity.
From your lips to Jeremy’s ears.
and this little pig said Wii Wii Wii all the way home… as the rhyme goes.
The child in ME was brought out by a team of very skilled surgeons.
Xbox4NappyRashs last blog post..Patience Patients
Excellent post, as always, Chuck!
The good thing about being an adult is that we have the choice to be child like. The smartest of us know how important it is to latch on to these “child like” moments. We the freedom to be an adult coupled with the knowledge that something like a Matchbox car is pure magic. This is what helps us get through some of those difficult times.
I don’t know what I said either, but I don’t want to edit it for fear of losing the point even more. lol.
Have fun, Chuck!
The comment re: rain really hit home. I love getting “caught” by a thunderstorm in the middle of a run. I wonder what people driving down the street are thinking when they see me running in the pouring rain laughing uncontrollably. I guess I’m making up for all the times that Mom and Dad said that I couldn’t go outside ’cause it was raining.
I know exactly what you said Dan, and thanks for taking the time to say it.
That’s great Pat. I can see that image pretty easily. It’s the little things, isn’t it?
Thank you for the vote of confidence kind sir. Now, about those surgeons…
Oh what a lovely post, Chuck. I wholeheartedly agree. Like you, I know when I need to be “the grown up” but am close enough to the child to be able to fully engage with my kids (thank goodness!). It comes out quickly when I play video games with my kids (I still love ‘em). I remember being thrilled to get Pong and playing it for hours. So now I appreciate the fantastic graphics and technological capabilities of systems like the Wii. I hope you win, by the way!
soapbox moms last blog post..You Find Examples of Kindness in the Most Surprising Places
Congratulations Chuck! You’re a winner! Great entry man!
Jeremy (Discovering Dad)s last blog post..Bringing Out the Kid in You – Contest Winners!
I was pretty sure when I wrote my post there wouldn’t be any better ones and I would be walking home with the Wii. But your post rocks, man. I really enjoyed it. Especially the crawfish reference (we called them crawdads back home…does that make me white trash? Hope not.)
Congratulations on the win….you deserve it. I am looking forward to spending my day at the office tomorrow reading through your site.
matts last blog post..And The Winner Is….
**cough** **cough**
Told you so…
**cough**
xbox4nappyrashs last blog post..Guys n’ dolls n’ dollars
Congratulations on winning the Wii, Chuck!!
soapbox moms last blog post..We Are Only Volunteers
Yes sir, you did…. feel free to tell me more good predictions in the future will ya!
I woke my wife up to the news before leaving for work. The whole family is excited. Thanks Soapbox mom!
Congrats on the Wii, Chuck! This is an awesome entry, even if you did best me in the contest with it. I, too, grew up being wowed by Stephen King and I can remember many a night when I talked myself out of some fear or another that I’d picked up after closing the pages of one of his books for the night. My all time SK favorite is The Stand, and the one that scared me the most (even after re-reading it last year when I was 30) was IT.
When it would rain when I was a kid, we used to go out “worming,” looking for all the worms that came out from their holes when they flooded. I used to wonder if the rains killed so many worms, how were there any left to keep worms from going extinct? Isn’t it funny the way our little curious brains work when we’re kids?
Anyway, great entry, and congrats on your win. Enjoy the Wii.
Andreas last blog post..A Circus of a Weekend
So I’m reading this a bit late and missed much of the excitement, but congrats on the Wii Chuck. I just wanted to share: My five year old has hundreds of those little green army men, and they are pretty much the only thing he plays with these days. He sets up intricate wars and battles, shoots them down with rubber bands or rocks, and spends hours on his own in his room pretending. He’s got such an imagination. I wish this age could last forever.
Bunchys last blog post..Conversation in the Car:
Thanks Bunchy! To be honest I wasn’t even sure they were still around in their original state. So good to hear! Five is a magical age.
[...] Top Prize = Nintendo Wii Game System!!! Winner = Chuck from D is for Dad who wrote The child in me [...]