When was the last time you got lost in fun? “Carried away in something that brings joy to your heart and a smile to your face” type of fun. “Childlike, laughter-filled, marvelous, no holds bar” kinda fun? When was it?
My answer is “this past weekend.” It was quite unexpected, a result of a scarecrow that I volunteered to build for my son’s school, celebrating Autumn. What began as a project unfolded into hours of laughter, cooperation, unbridled creativity, and cooperation — two adult kids combining heads and talents to bring, what ended up being, an eight-foot scarecrow to life.
For the few days that it stood in my garage waiting to be transported to the school, more laughter ensued from family members who came upon it, suddenly, as they went to their cars only to be momentarily frightened by the towering figure. Then, as I placed it in the back of my truck to finally bring it to its ultimate destination, my son nor I could stop giggling and wondering if I might be pulled over by an observant police officer given two legs were hanging out the back of the cab. Needless to say, I was prepared with my response if, in fact, I was. I wasn’t. No officer came upon me as I was shuttling the body from one location to the other.
The entire event was a kick. It also reminded me, however, of the lost art of merely having fun we, adults (and especially parents), experience as we navigate our busy schedules and high pressure, stressed-out worlds. Being totally submerged in fun is refreshing, rejuvenating, and revitalizing. Like our own kids, it helps us to “continue” when we feel completely spent, low or worried. Is anyone feeling that way as of late? Anyone? Anyone at all?
Not unlike sleep, few of us take the time to actually do it well or do it at all in the way it is meant to be done…categorizing it as more a luxury as opposed to a prerequisite. We almost need to be retaught how to sleep fully again. The same holds true for fun for most of us. Yet, it is precisely these memories that will be the ones we treasure in our old age, now won’t they?
Suffice it to say, I challenge you to sit back for a moment and reinvest yourself into fun. What does that mean for you, currently? What activity or adventure places you in the best of all possible states….then dive in. You owe it to yourself, I believe. Am I wrong?
It doesn’t have to be Tim Buton-esque like mine seems to be (who would have thought). It does have to be all-encompassing, leaving your mind no space to wander as you engage and revel in this rich opportunity. See how much better and even younger you feel when you do. You may even find yourself placing less pressure on your children to continuously have “fun by design” which is, many times, confused by adults as the best kind of fun of all, but isn’t. Instead, the relevance of fostering their penchant for unbridled fun and the vital, unsung lessons doing so holds may become, once again, apparent to you in re-acquainting yourself with your own good time. Imagine teaching your kids to ditch the agenda every so often and get lost in fun along the way? How much better prepared would they be in handling the pressures of growing up? adulthood? and everything else life throws at them like it has us. Ahhh 2020. Need I be more apparent?
Antis are up, folks. A point to ponder without question. Don’t take it lightly.
If you would like to vote for our scarecrow to win the town-wide contest, text 74574 and then write Scarecrow28. We’d appreciate the vote.
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This post was previously published on Medium.
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Photo credit: Laura Wellington