The ten year old and I went on a walk today.
We have a story we’ve been telling together on occasional walks going back two years. She got into making up stories in the Harry Potter universe ages ago and gradually characters from that universe fell out so it’s just a magic school setting. They’re fun to tell with her and it’s neat to have this particular long-running story and characters. We’re nearly done, I think, though often we turn a corner and a new idea suggests itself and extends the story. The idea is that a teacher who specializes in fear magic was involved in some magical accident as a kid and they wiped her memory and a couple other people’s to protect them, and kept a record in a file. A kid found the file while snooping, hijinx ensued.It’s nice fall weather, low fifties, I felt a little too chilly in my sweater, needed one more layer, but it was fine really. We saw big flocks of birds - the other day they were by our house, at a big tree across the street - being super loud, ran into a neighbor we like, and saw a bluejay up in a tree. We also noted trees taking on fall color, I was calling them “fally trees” and the ten year old referred to them as “octobery-ish.”
She asked me what would more octobery-ish, if it was snowing or if it was all green and hot. Snow, I think, but if those are our choices I guess I’d take the second, as much as I’m not into hot. She talked about how our fall is short and spring is erratic. I like hearing her sense of place.
We got home not quite done with the story so I did some weeding while we finished this session and brainstormed what will happen next time. I’ve noticed that my make-up-stories brain muscles get so tired, my kids can outlast them. I could be wrong but I think as my kids get older - the older two kids I mean - they don’t do stories with the great length that the five year old can or that they could at that age. At that age I sometimes have felt they’re dragging me behind the story, I get so tired and can’t keep up!
I had some muscle soreness today from my run the other day, I think the walked help alleviate it, that’s good and I’ll take the soreness as proof of benefit. Running’s so funny - it sucks and the reward is you get to endure more suffering later, I love it. It’s a lot like bad coffee. I wonder if bad coffee extends your life? More time to get worn out making up stories though, so that’s good, and of course there’s the joy of wearing a wool sweater. Wool’s a tea-derivative, that’s why it keeps you warm.
Oh, apropos of nothing, I'm stoked on this Neckbolt record, I think it's what people mean when they say no wave? Sort of like a less shouty noise rock with the aggression coming through awkwardly dancing at you. Check it out if you like that sort of thing.
https://neckbolt.bandcamp.com/album/dream-dump
