It’s a rainy day, but I don’t feel like staying inside. I work indoors all week without being able to look outside. So this Saturday afternoon, I can handle a little rain. I put on my jacket, grab an umbrella, pick up my keys, and start my journey into the great outdoors.
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The rain is light and steady as it bounces off my umbrella. The neighborhood is relatively quiet except for an occasional bird singing a tune. There are a few people out. Most of them elderly, sitting on the porch watching the cars go by. I wave hello to the Normans. They have been married forty years and still hold hands. They smile and wave back. Must be nice to have a love like that.
I enter Lincoln Heights Community Park and walk along the concrete trail. It’s a beautiful park. Plenty of trees and lush green grass. A bike trail and a separate one for joggers circles the park. There is a beach volleyball area, two softball fields, six tennis courts, and four basketball courts. Children have three play areas to choose from with swings, slides, see-saws, and monkey bars. I see a few people riding bikes and jogging.
As I come upon one of the children play areas, I’m surprise to see a boy and girl playing. The rain is now a very light drizzle. They are wearing hooded nylon jackets, but neither one has the hood covering their head. They are probably age ten at the most. I laugh to myself because nowadays children spend so much time indoors playing video games, on the Internet, or watching movies that I hardly see children their age playing over here. And the fact that it’s raining adds to my amazement.
As I watch them, I think back to my own childhood. Being a product of the 70’s, we had more fun outdoors than inside. Playing board games was nice when it was raining outside. But we would rather be running up and down the street making noise. Playing baseball, tag, hide-go-seek, or football was an average day for us. Riding our bike on the sidewalk and jumping make shift ramps, trying to be Evil Knievel, was a thrill for us. Sure, there were a few tumbles. You went home, cleaned it up, covered it with a Band-Aid and tried it again. When the street lights came on, we would sit on a friend’s porch steps and talk about all the fun we had. The same type of fun these two are having.
I shake my head and smile as I continue to enjoy my walk on this beautiful rainy day.
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very nice Michael. . i always liked your writing. haven’t read much of it lately. continue to write. nancy christian