The Art of Being Curious

Be curious for a moment. Imagine you and your child switched bodies. You are now your child. You are now your child's height and size. The abilities you now have are only those of your child's. Whatever the age your child is, that is now how old you are. For most of us, we can all remember being a kid. If we stop and allow ourselves, we can almost transport ourselves back to our favorite childhood memory or favorite childhood spot.

Who was there?

Where was it?

If you close your eyes, can you remember the details? What smells do you remember? Did you have a favorite taste? Favorite cereal or favorite food? What did you look forward to? What worried you most as a kid?

Being a kid had its perks. I loved being a kid who grew up in the 80's. My favorite place was outside. I remember one time digging the biggest hole in the yard, convinced that at some point i was going to break through and see China.

Being a kid also had its downsides. I can still feel the fear I had when my dad came outside, yelling at me for digging such a massive hole. Not to mention, I can still feel the disappointment I felt realizing that, "Now that I can't dig my hole, I will NEVER see China."

Not too long ago, I opened the sliding backdoor, walked onto my deck and laid eyes on my son, shovel in hand, digging a massive hole in the backyard. "Dad, look! I am mining for gold." I'll leave it to your imagination as to how I responded. Immediately, my body transported back to being a kid, digging my way to the other side of the world.

I wonder sometimes what it must be like to my kids. I'm tall. Most people I meet are shorter than I am. My view of life is...different. In many ways I can see so much more than what others can see. In other ways I forget what I can't see and what others can. Since my kids are shorter, I forget that to them I am this giant. I am taller. I am bigger, stronger. My voice is soft by default, but it can also carry some bass. I can be intimidating to my kids, especially when I use my "dad voice." Being tall, however, does not stop me from getting on my kids' levels, eye to eye, just to see what they see.

When I was a kid, if my favorite place was outside, my favorite thing to do was to explore. I would sit in the grass and be amazed at the texture, the feel, the artistry of each blade of grass. They all look the same, but pick up any two blades and you will notice two completely different worlds. Have you ever looked at a leaf and wondered why one side was more glossy and the other side was more dull? Or picked up a stick and imagined its versatility with all the many different uses it could have? A walking stick. A sword. Donatello's bo staff.