How Spontaneous Are You?

I’ve had the good fortune this past couple of weeks to spend a lot of time at the local rec centre. There is a great swimming pool, hot tub, steam room, and I’ve enjoyed some time with my grandkids and with my daughter.

All of this forms part of my physio therapy. But I’ve had so much fun doing it, that it doesn’t seem like work. Most of the fun actually comes from watching the little kids.
They are so spontaneous – you tell them NOT to run, but their excitement takes over and away they go.

And I got to thinking, how spontaneous am I?

I had a friend many years ago who was more spontaneous than anyone I’ve met since. His name was Cliff, and he made me laugh every time we were together. He and I made naked snow angels together, went rock climbing together (totally spur of the moment – I was in a trench coat and high-heeled boots!) and did a lot of FUN things. We travelled to Florida with 6 other people in a mini-van and golfed for two days.

He often whispered outrageous things in my ear while we were in meetings – just to see me blush.

And it was not uncommon for me to find him in my apartment planting something wonderful on my balcony, or cooking up a storm.

I never knew when he would show up or why.

Don’t get me wrong; we had lots of times together that were actually planned.

But the ones that stand out in my memory are the ones that were not planned.

We are not together now (I moved 3000 miles away). And I realize that I miss that (what Archie Bunker used to call) ‘sperm of the moment’ stuff.

As an adult, it’s our job to see that children are safe. We make rules like Walk, Don’t Run, or No Diving, or we tell kids NOT to do something that they decide suddenly they want to do.
But in doing so, we limit their spontaneity – and their FUN. And actually we limit our own fun as well – just watching them leap into the pool with looks of pure joy on their little faces is fabulous pleasure for me.

And as soon as I can, I’m going to do just that – leap into the pool holding hands with one of them. Just for the FUN of it!