Dinosaurs, fairies, butterflies and spiders. No, this is not a fantasy version of 'I went to the shop and I bought...' These were my companions this evening. In a valiant attempt to make the most of the wonderful light evenings that late June grants, I grabbed my bike and headed along the river.
Now repeatedly I try and make a point of looking up as I go about the day to day. It's an eye-opener to see what is above the normal line of vision; the date of a building's construction, a hanging basket, or in the case of my Saturday morning, a poo-ing pigeon. Anyway, I digress.
This evening my looking up philosophy was turned upside down, for the turning of the peddles provided the entrance to a world of momentary creativity. Along the smooth tarmac some expressive minds had gone to work with coloured chalks. Now call me old fashioned, but there is a simple joy in having a child explain their drawings. What to the adult eye is a confusion of clashing colours that are not within the proper lines, is a child's exploration a world that we have long since buried.
Pride of place, the fruits of their labour are displayed on the fridge for all to admire, until the splashed orange juice and curling edges seem fit reason to scrapbook this dear snapshot of childhood for future nostalgic moments.
The beauty of chalk and tarmac is the fleeting joy it creates. This will not be preserved, framed or the subject of scrutiny. Come the next rain shower all that will be left is a dis-coloured puddle. As the cliche states 'We are human beings, not human doings'. Perhaps it's time to be. To enjoy the colour of the moment that will be washed away when the time is right. No matter how hard we try pictures fade, edges curl. Not everything can be preserved. But that is no reason not to enjoy the moment.
Wednesday 26 June 2013
Thursday 13 June 2013
Thursday 6 June 2013
Wednesday 5 June 2013
Pint Size
27.1 square feet. An opportunity for encroaching on the personal space of others and exchanging awkward smiles with fellow occupants. Check your hair in the surrounding mirrors aiming to ease claustrophobia. Watch as the digital numbers descend to the relevant floor at a glacial pace.
The expectations of a ride in a lift. Shoppers pile in. On this occasion though I found myself with only two other companions. Feeling the gaze of the pint sized toddler looking up from her Barbie pink pushchair I couldn't help but return a smile. This understated smile triggered a story that not only stopped me in my tracks but is also a challenging message.
Catching the eye of the woman accompanying Pint Size she proudly stated, 'A year and a half' to which I made the appropriate responding gush women the world over are joined by. 'No, no, a year and a half since I got her' she replied. After a receiving a quizzical expression she went on to tell the heart breaking tale of how Pint Size's real mother had brought her to the woman's house to be babysat and has never been seen since. In the 60 seconds spent in that 27.1 square foot box I learnt that Pint Size's mother had never been traced by the police in the 18 months since she left and that the this woman, the baby sitter had faced reluctance from her own family as she formally adopted Pint Size.
This was not a sob story. In fact as she headed out of the lift, across to the job centre, she proudly stated, 'she has me and I have her'.
As my head spun I contemplated how and when you tell a child that they have been abandoned and whether she will question that her skin is a different colour from her mother and why her brother and sister are old enough to be her parents. But none of this matters now, as this little girl has a mother who loves her and would give anything to share her life with her. A lot can be learned in 60 seconds.
The expectations of a ride in a lift. Shoppers pile in. On this occasion though I found myself with only two other companions. Feeling the gaze of the pint sized toddler looking up from her Barbie pink pushchair I couldn't help but return a smile. This understated smile triggered a story that not only stopped me in my tracks but is also a challenging message.
Catching the eye of the woman accompanying Pint Size she proudly stated, 'A year and a half' to which I made the appropriate responding gush women the world over are joined by. 'No, no, a year and a half since I got her' she replied. After a receiving a quizzical expression she went on to tell the heart breaking tale of how Pint Size's real mother had brought her to the woman's house to be babysat and has never been seen since. In the 60 seconds spent in that 27.1 square foot box I learnt that Pint Size's mother had never been traced by the police in the 18 months since she left and that the this woman, the baby sitter had faced reluctance from her own family as she formally adopted Pint Size.
This was not a sob story. In fact as she headed out of the lift, across to the job centre, she proudly stated, 'she has me and I have her'.
As my head spun I contemplated how and when you tell a child that they have been abandoned and whether she will question that her skin is a different colour from her mother and why her brother and sister are old enough to be her parents. But none of this matters now, as this little girl has a mother who loves her and would give anything to share her life with her. A lot can be learned in 60 seconds.
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