Month: April 2020

Port Nostalgia

Jeanna G2 Comments

Like most of the world right now, I am home. Not that I’m happy about the reason we’re all told to stay home, but I am happy about having a break from my fast-paced life, so I’m trying to make the most of this time.

The #GenX memes and tweets have me pegged; I love being alone. I was a latchkey kid with a wild imagination, so I grew up knowing how to occupy myself.

My 8-year old daughter, however, is not quite as happy about being home with no one else to play with. Before now she played in after-school care with a ton of kids until I could pick her up and then race her off to her extra-curricular activities. So now we’re home. Just us two. And her eyes are drilling holes into my soul. So although I’m perfectly content milling around the house doing nothing, I have a bigger role in supporting my daughter’s childhood.

So I’ve decided to take this time to introduce her to some of my favorite childhood activities. I taught her to ride a bike. We hula hoop, dribble the basketball in the driveway, go on nature walks, and draw chalk art on the sidewalk. Yesterday I set up the tent in the backyard and told her she now had her own she-shed. She glamped it up and sat in there reading books all day. We ventured back to it at night to gaze at the stars. I moved my beat-up old Ikea table from the shed to the spare room for her to use for slime-making, painting, and other crafts. We’re building LEGO sets and piecing together jigsaw puzzles. And the board games! I taught her how to play Sorry, Chess, Monopoly, Life, Clue, Chinese Checkers, Mancala, and Battleship. We pulled out the deck of cards and I’m teaching her how to play versions of Solitaire. We plugged in the Pac-Man joystick to the TV. Now if only I had kept my Nintendo with the power pad!

It’s been a true joy to play with my daughter in the ways I used to play as a child. I look at her and think, “I bet we would’ve been friends if we were both young at the same time.” And then I catch myself and realize, we can both be young at the same time. It’s not so hard to revert to my childhood, especially when given the gift of opportunity.

I like to think that being home is keeping us safe from the storm. And I also think a lot of us are experiencing nostalgia.

So what did you play as a child? What do you wish you could play again? And what’s stopping you?

The 411

Jeanna G4 Comments
You found me!

I find today’s date to be apropos for beginning a blog that I hope serves as a source of information for you to use in your journey of growing young.

I don’t know about you, but I miss my childhood. It was fantastic! But like most kids, I put so much energy into growing up. I’d tell my age in fractions so people would know how close I was to my next birthday. I’d play M.A.S.H so I could dream of all the potential scenarios for my future. And of course I worked my tush off so I could achieve my goals because I was certain I knew what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. SPOILER: I am not living out my Senior Superlative.  

So what was the point in trying so hard to grow up if I was so content with being young? I have no idea. I mean, yeah, I did have to grow up and move out and get a job and all that, but why stop doing all the things that I loved? 

Puberty. I blame puberty for so many things in the world: poor attitudes, lack of imagination, the inability to make friends or dance in public, hasty judgments, self-consciousness…

Now that I’m in my forties I’ve been thinking a lot about where I am in relation to where I hoped I’d be. More often than not, my contemplations end with wanting to go back to my childhood. Now I’m not one of those people who are filled with regrets and are bitter and spiteful. I honestly wouldn’t change a thing because I truly am happy. I just miss a lot of stuff.

So what’s the 411? This blog is going to be like a giant, virtual game of Sardines. Remember that game? So I’ll be here waiting for you, and when you find me, hang out until more people find us. Hopefully a lot of people will find us and then we can share ideas of how to grow young together. 

So whether you loved and miss your childhood, you didn’t have the childhood you wish you had, or you’re not too happy with your adulthood, this blog is for you. I’ve been told many times that I’m very childish. I accept that as a compliment every time. In posts to come I’ll be letting you in on the attempts I make at growing young, and I hope they help you to have more fun!

DISCLAIMER: I feel like I need to make clear the facts that I am not a doctor or a life coach, nor do I carry any other certifications to qualify me as someone who can tell you what to do with your life. Please only do what you’re comfortable with and can carry out safely. 

We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing. – George Bernard Shaw