Galloping Geezer
Jack Downey Comments on Canadian Issues to Inform and Amuse.
Photo Credit to Julie Ann Biggs out on the Mekong River, Cambodia Vietnam Border.".
There are two Kinds of Children: Young Children and Old Children,
And they are both the same.
I recently enjoyed a very pleasant lunch at a friend's country retirement estate. Bill's and Sheila's "sandbox" is situated in the Foothills southwest of Calgary, is totally free from Urban sprawl ,and has air that is swept clean by the snow capped Rocky Mountains. There are large patches of Poplar and of Alberta's official tree, the Lodge Pole Pine and large stands of Fir trees separate meadows where the Buffalo pastured not so very long ago. Bill is active in community works, volunteers with a search and rescue unit, and both he and Sheila are well known and respected.
When I pulled into the driveway, two well-behaved Alsation dogs came over and sniffed at me and, since I smelled friendly, allowed me entrance to the sandbox. Even in mid-November, the sun was bright and shed it's warmth.
I was met by Bill, a big, strapping man, with a brain like a Pentium 4, a cheerful smile, and a strong social conscience. He is former Artillery Officer WW2, P Eng., well traveled, and involved in many international projects. Now retired, he and Sheila have made one of the best sandboxes I have ever had lunch in. Two of their charming Grandchildren, Jessica and Isaac, soon arrived and I am convinced that they considered this the "coolest" sandbox too. The two young children and the two old "children" interacted as loving friends, each pair realizing that they could learn a lot from the other.
Life in this sandbox is full of surprises and adventures. On Sheila's side of the sandbox is her Gallery of magnificent weavings, gorgeous costumes done with love and for pleasure. Here's a place for younger kids to understand and enjoy art. Bill's side is a mix of Huckleberry Fin and Cowboys (girls too!) and Indians plus a Fish/swimming/skating pond. Adventure land!
In conversation, the young ones showed no disdain or fear of me, the new kid in the sandbox. They, like the dogs, instinctively knew that I was friendly and wouldn't throw sand.
Young children do dwell much on growing up. Older children have the life experience to realize that something irretrievable is passing. For those of us lucky enough to go there, the second childhood is a treasure of touching moments and flashes from the past. The sights and sounds from our genetic code are evidence that we do go on after the curtain falls. What is beyond the curtain, I know not. I do know that life without a second childhood would leave one short-changed. What are schooling and all those years of work if not simply preparation for your second childhood? Isn't this why we are encouraged to put aside money for retirement? That second childhood sandbox and the independence to enjoy it need to be planned for.
Even if your sandbox is small, the old kids can teach the young ones to cook and then have a picnic in the park and lie on the grass watching for faces in the clouds. I often think that my ancestors are playing in a sky sandbox and making all those shapes we see. It sure looks like fun up there! I must go for lunch someday.
Bill came in to my office one day a long time ago. I was CEO of the partnerSHIP Society and Bill had read a story in the news paper about PC donations for Third World schools. After I gave him the "Cooks Tour", Bill volunteered with the caveat, "if I come here, I want work, not coffee and chats." He became the fixer of wheelchairs, operating tables, and assorted medical equipment for the Third World.
Bill was part of this weird caper and many others that helped people in places where there are no sandboxes.
My memory of the lunch with Bill and Sheila and the time in their sandbox will always be a pleasant reminder of how wonderful a second childhood can be. Although you're only young once (twice if you're lucky), never be afraid of being a kid. It's the best time of your life!
Thanks for the Great lunch Bill, Sheila, Jessica and Isaac. You're all-great kids!
PS
At partnerSHIP we found a hand written prayer in a donated Nurse Training Manual.
We tried to meet this prayer's true meaning in places were there are no sandboxes.
You'll have to scroll down for the prayer at jack28.html.
© Jack C. Downey CD
Send comments to: Jack
Thanks for your help
best regards
www.CanadianCulture.com
Get Involved!
Your Ideas are Important!
Content is contributed by various Canadians and does not necessarily
reflect the views of canadianculture.com.
|
 
|
