Are you still using your imagination? Or are you growing old because you quit playing?
Do you remember playing dress-up? I’m not sure kids do it anymore as we did. There might be a substitute for dressing up on an iPad or video game, but do kids have a box of castoff clothing that they put on to play dress-up?
One of my most vivid childhood memories is going up to the attic in our home at 402 West Kansas Ave. in Arkansas City, Kansas, and playing dress-up.
We had a pull-down ladder that went to the attic. The attic had a wooden floor and windows at each end for minimum lighting. There was a light bulb at the top of the stairs with a pull chain. My mom filled a big box with old dresses, shirts, hats and jewelry and put it up there.
The prized garment was a very fancy black lace padded bra. Now keep in mind that in today’s world, young women wear much less to the swimming pool, but this dress-up piece was transformative, captivating, bewitching and downright risqué. There was a full-length mirror to reflect this glorious transformation.
I would invite my friends, one at a time, to come and play dress-up. There was only enough space for two. And besides, taking turns with the black bra was only tolerable if you had to share with one other person. Even though I knew my mom put it up there along with all the other regalia, it was embarrassing if you got caught wearing it.
I’m sure my mom knew exactly how much fun that was.
I put out an inquiry on Facebook specifically to younger friends and asked if kids still play dress-up in old clothes, and 90% of the answers came from grandmothers who provide the vintage clothes in a big box to drag out when the grandkids come to visit.
A few younger moms talked about saving old Halloween costumes for the young ones to dress in. But I think there is a subtle difference. In my day, you selected from the box to decide whom you wanted to become — an old lady, a sexy woman with a black bra and so much more — and then tried to find the pieces to make it come to life.
When you use a Halloween costume, you’re just becoming that premade character. But hands down, it beats watching TV or playing video games.
You have been given the gift of imagination. Do you still use it?
The same gifts that make children happy and delightful are available to us as we grow older, like imagination, curiosity, spontaneity, impulse and inquisitiveness. Do you allow yourself to play?
Remember what George Bernard Shaw said, “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing!”
Growing up is overrated!
Find Connie’s book, “Daily Cures: Wisdom for Healthy Aging,” at www.justnowoldenough.com.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Are you growing old because you quit playing? Imagine better outcome.
