Act Your Shoe Size
Today I am grateful for opportunities to talk about the important and intentional place I give to writing in my life. I also appreciate the daily Wordle puzzle and the amazing number of words we have in our various world languages.
With the weather finally getting nicer, more people are out and about outside. Families are heading to the park, pushing strollers and riding bikes. Couples are taking evening walks. At school, teachers are getting their classes out for fresh air. Dog owners are getting out earlier and taking longer walks. It’s the way spring is meant to be spent.
My husband Darcy has been working hard on our yard and outdoor space. Plants are popping, and so are the colors of pots and planters, rugs and furniture. Our fountains will soon be flowing. At dusk, the various solar lights in our yard add a nice ambience to it all. Thank you dear!
Somewhere in this stretch of nice weather, this thought came to my mind: “Act your age, not your shoe size.” This is a line from the Prince song “Kiss” and likely originated long before he wrote it into his lyrics. It is usually meant as an insult, implying someone is being immature.
How about flipping it around to “Act your shoe size and not your age” as a reminder to those of us who have decades of living under our belts to lighten up, let the child within come out and play? Even if it is just for a few minutes a day, flipping our perspective to that of a young child, pre-adolescent, or teen could do wonders for our heads and hearts.
Do a silly dance for no reason. Skip down the hall. Lay in the new grass and look at the clouds. Laugh loud and heartily. Play a game of “Go Fish.” Read a children’s book. Color or draw. The list goes on . . .
The key is in the levity, the loosening of tension, the letting go of all the seriousness. A few moments can go a long way in bringing perspective back to our busy and full-of-responsibilities adult lives.
