We Grow Up and Forget What It Means to Play

Reignite your inner child

Photo of the author. Shooting hoops at my local park.

Making up for lost time.
For years I forgot what it means to be a kid,
and to me this is it —
lacing up my shoes and stepping into the night to
go and play a game, lose myself for a while.

There are cars on the highway.
A mist shrouds the streetlights that
illuminate my path towards the park.
I hear the satisfying sound of tennis balls
springing off rackets.
Voices echo.
A man on the grass runs football plays
with a group of kids. I like that.
What better way to spend your free time than by helping
kids have fun, make friends, and get better at a game.
Those impressions stay with us.

I forgot what it’s like,
the park at night,
like being young, when nothing much matters
but school and friends
and if the court had a light —
we grow up and forget what it means to play.
I’ve come full circle,
back on the basketball court
shooting like
a kid again. Running drills.
I wanna get better.
This feels good, the rhythm of the…