Playing in puddles and laughing at chipmunks

Children have fun as a matter of duty and pride. They will thoroughly engage themselves in the study of rocks and tea parties, laughing all the while. Then, they grow up and strangely lose that same pride. What is it about life that makes us all so dull? Having fun seems like a chore, a bother, and even troubling. But, have you watched chipmunks eat? Have you stepped in a puddle and paused to watch the ripples? Have you petted a bumblebee?

Chipmunks stuff food into their cheeks as they eat

I think what's remarkable about how children view the world is not their continuous questions and awe, but their ability to ignore all the heavily important parts we adults focus on and instead turn to finding anything fun in their immediate vicinity. They'll get excited about blades of grass! It's incredible. Adults usually roll their eyes and tell the youngsters to get moving, but what's wrong with being amazed? Yes, adults have totally different priorities, however we also need to remember to enjoy the life we work so hard to maintain. Work is only half of the equation; play is the other.

When you do something for enjoyment, plan on having fun! If you do something, do it with all your heart and soul. Take this phrase to heart: "Work hard, and play hard." There are few better mottos. If it's sports, then rave like a lunatic, if it's a dance, then flail with abandon, and if it's love, then pour your passion into every glance. Fun, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder, so why let someone else take it away? Go out there and skip in puddles and laugh at the silly chipmunks!

- M