Simply Saturday: Remembering Childhood

As a child, my richest experiences were when I was given time to explore, wonder, and create.  It's what I held onto into adulthood as an educator, parent, and woman creative.  When I explore I approach in the same way as I did as a child.  I watch and take in all of the environment, I circle back and look at details of what caught my eyes, the first time through, and then I make note of what stood out for me.  As an adult, I'm reflecting on why was it meaningful, what does it mean to me, and how it add value to my life.

Today as I write this, I'm at a birthday party with my 7 year old.  I'm sitting enjoying the reflection time, looking at the e,exhibits in the Museum of Osteology.  It's amazing!  Since my son doesn't need me to navigate  party etiquette, it's refreshing.

I watched as the kids navigated the Museum and explore on there on, I was reminded of the simplicity of new experiences.  As we experience new things, as children or adults our approaches are similar:

• We explore with our eyes, ears, mouth, touch, and smell- our innate ability to use our five senses to make sense of the world around us.
• We look for something familiar, building on prior knowledge or experience - this is our beginning of formulating knowledge and growing as life-long learners.
• We look for extensions of what we are learning - how can I take it and build on it further.  Do I share what I've learned or experienced with others.  If so, with who do I share this new knowledge.

When we apply these basic steps we are living and experiencing our world, not just bystanders or site seeing.  This is life in it's most simplest form.  Through the eyes of a child, we learn about ourselves.


Live Simply!