The Simple Life

Where did our childlike wonder go? I was watching a toddler study the wheels on the grocery cart today as his mother pushed  it down the isle. He was completely taken with the whole workings of this wheel. I couldn't help but smile. He was so intent on those wheels and every time the mom would roll the cart forward his head would bob up and down until the wheel came to a stop. As I got closer, I saw that the wheel had a sticker or some piece of paper stuck to it and as the wheel turned the boy followed that paper with his whole head. He was oblivious to everyone and everything around him. His mother was oblivious to his infatuation with the wheel, she was probably just happy that he wasn't running wild or throwing a fit. 

While watching this little guy, I began to feel a little bit of a loss. When did we start taking life for granted? Kids are always amazed and amused by the slightest things. As adults, we seem to become immune to the little things that make life fun and interesting. Ask a kid what he's thinking and he'll probably tell you something like: "If I was a balloon, I would float to the top of the highest mountain and whistle for my dog to come find me."  Because to them, it is that simple. I want to live simple again. 

We live at such a fast pace and are constantly surrounded by stuff that drowns out the purity of life. Remember when the TV channels went off air at midnight? Or, all the stores were closed on Sundays? What about life before cell phones? Internet? It seems like we are always in a state of communication. Down time is rare and relaxing with out some kind of electronic device is unheard of. We are always connected. I think I'm ready to be unplugged---ha ha, as I blog! But seriously, wouldn't it be nice to have things not so hectic for a while? To know that when you take a day off away from work or are away from home, people actually leave you alone because they know you can't be reached. Problems can be solved by other people and most "emergencies" are taken care of if they can't wait.

People wonder why families fall apart so easily now. It's my opinion that a huge factor in this is, that we all go a million miles per hour, doing a million things all the stinking time! When I was growing up, we played one sport at a time, ate dinner at home. Some people I knew, had only one car! Can you imagine trying to get kids to all their various activities with only one car? We live at a burn out speed. Time at home chilling with the family is rare and almost always has to be planned and guarded by a junk yard dog to make it happen. We can easily loose touch with our kids if we are constantly on the go, eating by drive thrus and consumed by TV and computers when at home. Is it any wonder that the divorce rate is so high? Who do you think carries all the pressures of working, raising kids and keeping up with all the extracurricular activities? There's going to be a breaking point sometime if you don't prioritize down time for the family to spend together.

Now, I'm not trying to point fingers at anyone. We are just as guilty of going too fast and too hard. I guess since school started, I just realized how busy we get and I'm missing those nice evenings of grilling and hanging out in the backyard swimming with the four of us. I've also learned of several friends who are separated or divorcing. This makes me sad. I do not know or even presume to know why they are splitting, I'm just recognizing some of the things that pull us (my family) in different directions. If these were to go unchecked in our house, there is no telling what would happen.