Delta4Embassy
Gold Member
Today was Cupcake Day (Fridays being Cookie Day.) A tradition I began last Summer baking either and giving them out to the maintenance team here in appreciation of all the hard work they do keeping the place looking so nice. While making enough for all of them I naturally had extra so started giving it out to people walking around, kids playing, etc. Now to be honest it's really more for the kids. 
I like kids, well, other people's kids. The thought of any of them living here and whooping and hollering are why I'm single with none of my own. To say nothing of how I worry about them diving into the too-shallow pool and running up and jumping in to do so fearing for their safety. And that's virtual strangers. If I had kids of my own to worry about, I'd prolly still drink.
So seeing a neighbor out with his daughters in the pool today I brought them some triple chocolate fudge cupcakes with milk chocolate frosting and rainbow candy sprinkles. I don't see him as often as I'd like as he's really expressive and kind in his appreciation to the cupcakes or cookies (depending on when I see him.) Today he said the thread title, and though I didn't say it back, nor even thought it up until before logging in,
"Too kind? Kids aren't kids indefinitely. Eventually they'll grow up and some of them will become people I can't stand."
Though that works as humor, a bigger point comes to mind. "Don't act your age. Act your kids' ages." When we were children and playing with friends we didn't pick and choose our friends based on anything more than where they lived perhaps. Certainly not what their political or religious beliefs were, how rich they were, or the sort of things we allow influence our friendships now. So why don't we make friends like when still young?
Shouldn't the time we spend recreating be more like when we were kids and would go to our friends asking the very innocent "Wanna play?" That simple question between adults would result in raised eyebrows or outright hostility being received as a double entendre. At some point then, children become adults and 'play with friends' completely differently. And now that I think of it, I actually remember the first time my nextdoor neighbor and best friend raised an eyebrow and laughed when I asked if he wanted to play. He was a year and a bit older so guess he hit adolescence a little before me. But standing there in his doorway jaw slack I didn't get what he was going on about since he'd responded favorably countless times prior. But he said something of like, "I'm too old to play." Which to me now seems perfectly normal and acceptable. But it shouldn't be the case that in order to be with friends and have fun out n about adults have to call it exercise.
I think then we've lost something as adults despite seeing it all around us in children. The sense of innocence and kindness when kids play together. But by watching them (like we watch animals to learn about ourselves) I think we stand to regain something we've lost. Children are naturally kind-hearted and merry (in the imaginary perfect world I choose to exist in anyway heh.) If only to remember that innocence from our own childhoods, and that...State of grace to borrow a religious term, we should be more like children when ever possible. Do something nice like bake goodies for your neighbors or community, host a potluck dinner once a week, do something which you KNOW is gonna make people raise an eyebrow wondering at your motives. Because most certainly I have an ulterior motive as well. I firmly believe that 'random acts of kindness' (taken from "Evan Almighty") is a worthwhile thing. Rather than accepting the world as it is, I'm trying to make it more like the world we often depict in movies (that don't involve body counts and misery.)
Don't act your age. Act your kids' age.
I like kids, well, other people's kids. The thought of any of them living here and whooping and hollering are why I'm single with none of my own. To say nothing of how I worry about them diving into the too-shallow pool and running up and jumping in to do so fearing for their safety. And that's virtual strangers. If I had kids of my own to worry about, I'd prolly still drink. So seeing a neighbor out with his daughters in the pool today I brought them some triple chocolate fudge cupcakes with milk chocolate frosting and rainbow candy sprinkles.
I don't see him as often as I'd like as he's really expressive and kind in his appreciation to the cupcakes or cookies (depending on when I see him.) Today he said the thread title, and though I didn't say it back, nor even thought it up until before logging in,"Too kind? Kids aren't kids indefinitely. Eventually they'll grow up and some of them will become people I can't stand."
Though that works as humor, a bigger point comes to mind. "Don't act your age. Act your kids' ages." When we were children and playing with friends we didn't pick and choose our friends based on anything more than where they lived perhaps. Certainly not what their political or religious beliefs were, how rich they were, or the sort of things we allow influence our friendships now. So why don't we make friends like when still young?
Shouldn't the time we spend recreating be more like when we were kids and would go to our friends asking the very innocent "Wanna play?" That simple question between adults would result in raised eyebrows or outright hostility being received as a double entendre. At some point then, children become adults and 'play with friends' completely differently. And now that I think of it, I actually remember the first time my nextdoor neighbor and best friend raised an eyebrow and laughed when I asked if he wanted to play. He was a year and a bit older so guess he hit adolescence a little before me. But standing there in his doorway jaw slack I didn't get what he was going on about since he'd responded favorably countless times prior. But he said something of like, "I'm too old to play." Which to me now seems perfectly normal and acceptable. But it shouldn't be the case that in order to be with friends and have fun out n about adults have to call it exercise.
I think then we've lost something as adults despite seeing it all around us in children. The sense of innocence and kindness when kids play together. But by watching them (like we watch animals to learn about ourselves) I think we stand to regain something we've lost. Children are naturally kind-hearted and merry (in the imaginary perfect world I choose to exist in anyway heh.) If only to remember that innocence from our own childhoods, and that...State of grace to borrow a religious term, we should be more like children when ever possible. Do something nice like bake goodies for your neighbors or community, host a potluck dinner once a week, do something which you KNOW is gonna make people raise an eyebrow wondering at your motives. Because most certainly I have an ulterior motive as well. I firmly believe that 'random acts of kindness' (taken from "Evan Almighty") is a worthwhile thing. Rather than accepting the world as it is, I'm trying to make it more like the world we often depict in movies (that don't involve body counts and misery.)
Don't act your age. Act your kids' age.
