Like a Kid Again

I have a memory from when I was about 4 years old. I was in pre-school and it was raining out during the time we were supposed to play on the playground. My best friend and I were skipping around the playground, arm in arm, singing "Singing in the Rain" at the top of our lungs. We didn't care about the fact that it was raining out, and we were getting wet - we were enjoying singing and each other, and just being alive. The way that is so easy for a 4-year-old. I have a ritual of leaving my office for half and hour each day during my lunch break so that I can get some air and get away from my desk and responsibilities for a little while. Most of the time I walk across the street to the Inner Harbor and sit by the water and read or just relax. Sometimes someone will stop and talk to me, but most of the time I just spend the time looking at the water and enjoying the air. Sometimes, I will have a couple errands to run, so I will walk a few blocks behind my office to a store and pick up whatever I need. It doesn't really matter so much to me what I do, just that I get out of my office.

Today, at my usual lunch time, it was raining. I was really not thrilled by the idea of staying inside my office, so I decided to grab my umbrella and walk to the drugstore anyway. I walked down the streets, watched people scramble for cover and just focused on enjoying being outside. Who cares that it was raining? I didn't sing, because that is much more fun to do when you have a friend to sing with, but it reminded me of that time long ago when I skipped around the playground.

I got to the drugstore only a little bit wet (though I did manage to ruin my sandals forever). It was worth it to be wet for the reminder of what it was like to be a kid - carefree and enjoying life.