You might think I’m nuts thinking of writing a topic such as this. But what’s wrong with going back to old dreams and remembering how it was to be a child again? There are certain places and events that float in your mind all the more vivid than the rest. There are people and friends that you remember who were part of your happy childhood life. And there are things that you did in your childhood that you want to do all over again, just to see why you found them fascinating when you were ten.
I was with hubby looking at the sale bin of National Bookstore early this morning hoping to find a book worth-reading. Then I caught several titles, some not well-known children’s books, a frayed at the edges pop-up book and much to my surprise, some thin compilations of coloring books. I wanted to buy a coloring book for so long, the thick one complete with a set of crayons to match. A friend of mine swears to high heavens that when she is stressed out at the office, she spends her free time doing a page of a coloring book, with precise movements of the fingers, a little experiment on color combination now and then. It does not really matter whether the colors match, what is important is that you unleash those moments of tension and stress. Sounds interesting, right?
An artist friend told me that making doodles on a blank page is equally absorbing, just like a child learning how to write, not knowing what shapes he or she could create. I usually do that when I’m bored and I have a blank paper in front of me, I am careful though not to use my lovely journals which I always reserve for writing. You don’t have to be a Monet or a Picasso to make your own painting, be it simple as a five-petaled flower or a neat stick figure of your family. What counts is you enjoy the moment while drawing, clearly absorbed in the task. A week ago, hubby made a landscape plan for a small gardening project with his cousin. He bought a set of colored pencils and a box of fine water-color. I tried experimenting on the tracing paper and it was fun. It made me remember those school projects when I was in elementary grade, making cards using dried grass and leaves for designs or burning some crayons and scratching them on a small screen, then spattering on a clear sheet of paper.
I am not really that creative when it comes to making home projects or crafts but my daughter is. She is into scrapbooking, she makes her own greeting cards and lately, she even taught my son to string beads to make fashionable bracelets. I’m proud though that I was able to learn how to make chain rosaries. I gave some of them to friends I met at our group, Apostles Filipino Catholic Community.
Have you ever spent your time finding shells along the seashore? Did you ever try listening to the sound of the waves by placing a cowrie shell close to your ears? Have you tried painting a smooth river stone with pictures of flowers or anything that would make it eye-catching? I did all those when I was a kid and I enjoyed them all very much, thank you.
One thing that I want to try again (despite my age, with arthritic fingers and sometimes aching legs to boot) is to fly a kite. I can imagine the wind on my face and the taut strings securely held around my fingers. I can imagine how it is to run to make the kite fly higher.
Unleash the child in you once in a while, learn to relax and feel those moments of bliss! Life is good, make the most of it.
Dreams And Escapes 