Child’s Play

There is a church down the street from my house that is a haven of bustle from early to late every Sunday.   It’s an Ethiopian Church, specifically an Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church – one of the few pre-colonial Christian churches of Sub-Saharan Africa.  Past that, I know very little about what they believe or how they worship or for that matter what or who they worship, nor do I care.  They are friendly people and they are fine occasional neighbors.

When I moved to this neighborhood a few years back the building they occupy was admittedly an eyesore.  The structure which I believe was probably a neighborhood school at some point in the past had fallen into disrepair.  The grounds left untended were overgrown and I imagine the interiors were a perfect venue for who knows what manner of nefarious shenanigans.  So I was surprised to discover that many of my neighbors were not excited that a church was moving in and some even contemplated an attempt to block their arrival.  What I didn’t know was that this building had most recently been a make-shift concert venue and the subsequent influx of ne’re do wells had been a nightmare – cars parking in yards, loud music to all hours of the night etc. etc.  Prior to that, it had been an artists' colony that had attracted apparently a less than desirable element as well and had a similar negative impact on the community.  I guess I understood the neighborhoods’ hesitance but I couldn’t get behind not welcoming a church into our midst.   A meeting with the leaders of the church was arranged and that quickly put everyone’s minds at ease.  Soon after, they started cleaning up the landscape, painted the exterior green and our new weekend neighbors moved in.

I told you that unnecessarily long story just to tell you this – I’m glad they are here.  Perhaps I think that their presence here is good for me.  That maybe some of their devout spiritualism will rub off on me or whatever. I don’t think that it’s possible to be religious via some sort of cultural osmosis but it’s better than nothing I suppose.  Plus and a more likely reason is that I like the increased activity in the street.  I spend most of my Sundays sitting on the porch stoop plotting my next move as it were.  Which is to say, watching squirrels dig up the flower beds and trying in vain to ascertain the actual growing of the grass or this time of year watching leaves fall.  It’s not an especially productive use of my time but it’s what I do.  Having a parade of taxi cabs and sedans packed with families drive by gives me something else to look at.  Fascinating, I know.

This morning I was reminded of the real reason I like sharing a block with a church.  It’s the exuberant and seemingly never ending child’s play that comes along with it.  I don’t have kids;  so I’m more than a little shocked to find that I enjoy a gaggle of screaming children running around my neighborhood.  It’s refreshing to see kids running for no discernible reason other than running is apparently really, really fun.  And screaming while you run is even better!  Running and screaming by yourself is one thing, but if you can achieve the trifecta of running, screaming AND being chased then there is clearly nothing in this world that can give these kids more joy other than maybe rolling down a hill of course.  Screaming and running, smiling from ear to ear without a care in the world. 

I don’t remember this from my childhood.  I’m sure I enjoyed running around for no reason as much as the next kid, but it’s not something I recall.  I was a weird little dude though so I’m not sure I played like other children did. If I didn’t, I really wish I had because it looks awesome!  I assume it would be frowned upon socially if as adults we were to run and scream and chase our friends around, but oh what fun that would be.  Can you imagine that?  If in the middle of an important business meeting a spontaneous game of chase broke out?  If hide and seek was an appropriate form of conflict resolution.  Or if instead of wars, we settled our differences through an enormous game of intercontinental tag? 

So that’s today’s big epiphany.  This world is far too serious, far too often and it would be a better place if we all could recapture and embrace the simple joys and pleasures we knew as children.  Yep, what the world needs now is simply more child’s play. 

There, I fixed it.