Being A Kid Again
by James Glaser
February 22, 2011

The grandkids came this weekend. Joey is 7, and Matthew is 5. That first day I was filled with energy, and we cooked hotdogs, roasted marshmallows, and then went metal detecting with our metal detectors. They brought their own junior metal detectors, and luckily, I had just bought myself one. So we all three set out to find the treasures of Dusty Miller Road. Joey found a real cool auto part, and Matthew found a long piece of aluminum right on top of the ground that he said was a magic wand.

The second day I was still game, but truthfully was tired out from that first day of playing. Playing is hard work when you are trying to keep but with two young boys. On day two, we flew toy airplanes, and it turned out that grandma was the best pilot. In the afternoon the boys and I each had a toy gun that fired bubbles. When grandchildren come to visit, the prudent grandparent is ready with lots of things to do.

Grandma Violet was in the house cooking chicken and making coffee cake, and I was sitting on the swing, when Joey came up and said, "You want to play a game Grandpa Jim?" Well, I said sure, and Joey explained that I would have to sit on the swing and count to 29, and then come and try and find the two of them. Yes, that is right, 29. I said "Oh Yeah, Hide and Seek!" Which I then had to explain to the two of them what I meant, and they said that I had it right.

The twist in their version was that whomever I found first, and could get one of my bubbles to hit before theirs hit me would have to be the "counter and looker". If their bubble hit me first, I would have to do the counting and looking again. So I started counting, but first they had reminded again that I couldn't look until after I counted. So, I sat there and counted and then yelled "Ready or not, here I come," and started out looking.

Right away I saw a little foot going behind a huge live oak tree. I moved to the left, so if whoever it was peeked out at where I was sitting, they wouldn't see me. It was like magic, for the next ten to fifteen seconds I was the same age as Joey and Matt Matt—no aches, no pain, and I didn't even notice my bum left knee. It was only a few seconds, but my mind had me back in childhood, and it made the total exhaustion of a weekend of playing with two young boys worth it.

Oh yeah, I got Joey first. I was very good at Hide and Seek as a lad.

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