Take A Child By The Hand

Once upon a time, about 25 years ago, I was a scruffy 9 year old.

Back then, I drove, YES DROVE (with a best mate), a car all the way from Victoria to Queensland (Australia). It took us a damn long time, in fact I think it took me a few months because I only got to do the driving on the weekends. Also, the mosquitos started biting after a few hours, so I had to run back inside for some cream and a cold drink.

Let me describe my car, it looked nothing like a car. Most of it was a 'For Sale' sign which me and a mate found dumped down the street. We dragged it deep into the forest to a beast of a tree. That formed our 'chassis' which was maybe 10 meters (30 ft) high up in the tree. Us two kids spent as much time as we could, chopping bits of branches up and joining them up. At the end of each building session, we'd both sit up in that tree which had a great view, and pull up to the service station.

Sticks were used to 'fill-r-up' and we'd just cruise along, minds racing much more than that car! It was awesome. It was being a kid. It was forgotten.

It's been so long since I had remembered back to those moments, and I have this video to thank for it. Please take the time to watch (ideally, go fullscreen via youtube). This video will bring a wet tear to your eye, as it does for me. Its music and art is breathtaking.




Now that you've watched that, do what I'm planning on doing this weekend with my kids.
Take a child by the hand, and go walking into your nearest forest or woods. Let them free for a while to be children, even if its only for an hour.



(The gorgeous art and music in that video clip by Gotye is amazing, I'll link another of his best pieces, but it is a scary, chilling, emotive piece that I think is the sound of goosebumps themselves. I'll just link rather than embed otherwise it will clash with my message ^ up there) Other Clip - Chilling

Hope you enjoyed!

That was beautiful! There is nothing like being out in nature and using your imagination as a child.

reply to post by Night Star


Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! Your right! In my world here of cookie cutter concrete suburbia, a childs mind is stifled and mangled in so many ways. This video just brought back to me how special those moments as a kid are.

made me cry at the end.

the thing is, if you behave like a child at all as an adult.
they say you are sick!.....

5 days ago when we had heavy snow.
me and my dog played in the snow.
I made a big snow man,
when the dog did not eat and jump on the snow.

a lazar light whent by on the snow.
some kid was still up and had seen me playing at 3:30am.
I bet he had a good laugh.
but an adult would have called the police.

you see I am sick! I love to play like a chiled....

reply to post by buddha


I agree, never lose sight of the child within!

Due to being restricted to a wheelchair, I've found a great accessible forest nearby! I can't wait to see them play some goofy game using nature as their tools.

Seriously, if you know a kid stuck in suburbia, take them out this weekend, refresh yourselves! Man, I feel like a hippy! I blame this song ^!!

reply to post by Qumulys

Well, how to begin?

I really would like to thank you for this magic moment I've just spent with you listening to this beautiful Gotye song (and clip as well) and reading into your child memories...
I have no words to describe my emotion when something or someone reminds me of the magic insouciance days we lived as a child. Sometimes I wonder if to be nostalgic of these moments is a good thing.....
I mean each time I talk about my feelings to someone, I heard the exact same thing: "don't look back....", "you're living in the past....", etc...
But what these people just forget is that it's our childhood that really made what we actually are, and that we should always keep as a little shiny light inside our child memories.

Now, I have two things to dedicate to you:



And the magic French cartoon:



"Où le regard ne porte pas", that could be translated in English by: "Where the sight is out of range", is about the story of a timeless friendship between four children. (And when I said "timeless", it's really timeless as it's even beyond the death.

BTW, I'm surprised that no more fellow ATS members flagged this thread.

reply to post by elevenaugust


That song was gorgeous! Those kids, looked so...... NATURAL! I swear, without nature its so hard to see how real children should be. Instead, we see mini-adults worried about how the person in the mirror will be perceived by others.

I'm telling myself the lack of flags is purely because I posted it when the bulk of the ATS audience was in bed. Oh well, at least I reached some of you, which makes me smile inside!

Recap!

Had a awesome morning! I was expecting my girls to think it was lame, but after being there for 10 minutes, it happened! They become softer and more innocent!

As I sat there soaking in the birds and filtered light through the trees, smelling the fresh rain, I overheard my two girls make up a version of Peter-Pan, but one of them was a talking dolphin who needed to be fished out of the rising waves to save them. Tinkerbell managed to pull them aboard using a stick fishing rod!

Kids have been chatting nicer to each other since we got back, everyone seems so much more relaxed. Man, how I wish to live next to a forest again!

video reminded me of ghibli studio films.

Originally posted by lacrimosa
video reminded me of ghibli studio films.

Yes, like a Youtube user siad: a mix between Gorillaz and Princess Mononoké:

Originally posted by Qumulys
Had a awesome morning! I was expecting my girls to think it was lame, but after being there for 10 minutes, it happened! They become softer and more innocent!

As I sat there soaking in the birds and filtered light through the trees.....
Man, how I wish to live next to a forest again!

Nice!!

reply to post by elevenaugust


That light through the tree's is amazing, really captures my morning! Many thanks!

I decided I might just embed my other favourite track of his hear. It is full of cult/religious imagery, but the animation is gorgeous and the message is very strong.


That vid is not for the kids!

I like to spend my summers playing in the swamps on my property. I would explore the tiny amounts of forest we have but I have a deadly poison ivy allergy that prevents me from doing so

reply to post by Avalessa


I actually lived in Louisiana for a while in the middle of nowhere, our house backed onto a bayou and the scenery there is really quite breathtaking! So I can understand your love of the swamps! Luckily over here in Oz we dont have much poison ivy (unless its been introduced), there is some rather large spiders and snakes though, but so long as you slowly back away your fine. (as long as you don't back away into a croc's nest)

Thanks for contributing!

reply to post by Qumulys


Excellent OP! Wish I had enough posts to flag this.
I think I will take my 5 year old daughter to the woods tomorrow. Here is an imaginary flag for you!

reply to post by Thescripter


Cheers! It's good to know someone else has been motivated

Makes writing this up all worth it Star for you, and let your imaginations run free

reply to post by Qumulys

Those kids, looked so...... NATURAL! I swear, without nature its so hard to see how real children should be. Instead, we see mini-adults worried about how the person in the mirror will be perceived by others.

This is why I believe the best therapy for children or adults with depression and anxiety could be as simple as getting back in tune with nature. This is also found at the shore, er, I mean ocean (excuse my Jersey roots). I have never missed a year without being at some beach in all my life...which spans over five decades. Many of us know the calming affect of the ocean on our psyche already, and who of us does not become as a child when surrounded by heaps of soft sand, water, boats, seashells, playful children and seagulls? I am never at a loss for being transported back to an 8 year old child, as I am when at the shore. I love to camp, and the mountains and forests run a close second. The absolute best of both worlds is mountains and oceans combined, which serves my purpose in Nova Scotia, especially Cape Breton. Ahhhh............