As I sat with my 2 year old at the library’s story time today listening intently then jumping up when it was time to sing and dance, it occurred to me what a joy it can be to listen to a good story told by a good storyteller (or even a bad story told by a good storyteller, but not so much for a good story told by a bad storyteller). When we were children that was the best entertainment. We could listen to our parents or our teachers read story after story as we entered those imaginary worlds and as we absorbed new words and new thoughts planting the seeds that would form our imaginations. Just looking around at the faces of those 2-3-4 year olds rapt with attention and filled with a sense of wonder I couldn’t help but wish they might all hold on to that forever. We need a sense of wonder. We deserve a chance to have new seeds planted in our imaginations. As adults we read for ourselves (though recorded books are becoming more and more popular) and that is such a gift, which allows us to travel to places we may never go and live adventures we may never have. I enjoy movies, but the best movie ever made doesn’t even compare to a good book.
Story time and spontaneous dancing
Perhaps the greatest gift my daughter has been given is the freedom to imagine and to dance to the music in her head whenever the feeling hits. At story time the librarian directs the dancing and singing, but at home a spontaneous dance moment from dad or daughter(with or without music playing) can occur at any time (same goes for spontaneous singing). It’s just this energy, this joy that needs to be expressed. We had a family dance session (with music) after dinner and it was the most fun we have had at home in a while. The lesson for me is about removing our inhibitions and freeing our minds from all bonds. It’s almost like you can hear the rhythm of the world around you and you let it move you. You allow yourself the freedom to do what you feel, to be enthusiastic about living each moment and you let your mind wander and wonder. People talk about the rhythm of life, but how many let themselves hear it and respond by dancing? It may seem a bit silly (whether you are reading things or you have actually witnessed it), but maybe that’s what makes it worth writing about; we could all use more silly in our lives.
Tripping the Light Fantastic 