I miss elementary school. Not because of the endlessly joyful routine of chasing girls around the schoolyard, but because of the one thing that many of us seemed to have lost somewhere along the way since then.
I miss elementary school because of playtime.
Right now, I live across the street from a park with a school right next to it. Rain or shine, boy or girl, socialite or outcast, those kids go completely nuts whenever they’re let loose in the big grassy field with the two adjoining asphalt basketball courts and the intersecting row of oak trees in between. It’s a complete circus during recess and is absolutely “the greatest show on earth” whenever I need a break from studying.
Kids scatter the park yelping, squealing, and screaming themselves into a boisterous frenzy of kicking soccer balls, playing tag, and wrecking havoc on the tranquility that once occupied Plumas Park.
How I envy them.
Unapologetically living and playing in their worry-free universe, unrestrained by the complexities the outside world can infinitely provide. No tests looming over their heads like a dark and portentous cloud. No financial worries invading their thoughts. No family obligations to fulfill, grades to keep up, or graduate schools to constantly be preparing for.
When I daydream about my own elementary school experiences, the utopia known as Doris French Elementary, I always wonder at what point in my adult life that I became so serious. At what point did my own playground also encompass my schoolhouse.
I think we all can learn something from children. At that moment when their miniature tennis shoes sink into the luminescent green grass, nothing else matters. They charge enthusiastically onto the playground without a second thought on their mind. All that exists in their world at that exact instant are the joys and pleasures found in roaming the playground with their friends.
As graduation approaches and the real world begins knocking at our doors, playtime morphs from a bountiful luxury to another task on the to-do list. In the process we lose a part of that instinctive drive for fun that defines us as children.
Finding time for recess amidst the chaos of everyday life has become increasingly difficult, but having fun is what makes us complete. No matter how hectic our lives and schedules become, finding playtime is as essential to our well-being as the air we breathe. It is an essential component in reaching our full potential at any point in our lives.
Without the acceptance, appreciation, and sense of belonging from our peers and family members, life would be hopelessly lopsided and unfulfilling.
So as the distant squall known as final exams looms on the horizon, don’t forget to take a break from the books and do what you love to do with those you love most.
If you’re anything like me, that would constitute either playing soccer or chasing girls. Or girl, I should say.
But that’s okay with me, she’s a quick one.
You’re going down, Jacque.
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