A couple of weeks ago I wrote about a desire to be more in touch with the joyous energy of being a playful child. One of the things I put on my list was to roll down a grassy embankment. The idea kind of stuck in my head. How can I explain this…. I suppose it’s like an avocado pit suspended on top of a glass of water that has no choice but to grow a root. Have you ever grown one of these? Well this idea – suspended in the liquid of my brain – decided to take root, leaving me no option but to carry it out.
Last week while walking Chester, it dawned on me that it was now or never. So I handed my phone to my daughter who obliging agreed to video me rolling down a grassy bank. The video is raw footage and the event was not planned for. Suffice to say it was not my finest moment. It was also an opportunity for my internal Resident Critic to gloating say, “I told you this was a stupid idea!” I have to concede, for once, RC was totally right and this is why:
· We don’t roll down grassy banks as adults because as we grew up we figured out that it was a stupid idea! I just forgot!
· Rolling down the bank is sort of fun, if you willing to be totally out of control, dizzy, nauseaous and disoriented.
· A plumber’s crack is never a good look and there were moments when I was rolling that it got close to that! My jeans had their own agenda and slowly began to crawl towards my feet. Fortunately the roll ended before such a tragic event could occur.
· Worst of all is what followed afterwards. The itch!!! I tell you I’ve never walked home so quickly in my life. I was itchy all over. I just had to get to the shower. I’m sure I must have looked like some one trying to practice new dance moves, my arms were all over the place – scratch, rub, scratch. Hop, skip, jump. I have no idea what Chester thought of these antics!
So… lesson learnt, bucket list item ticked and never to be repeated again. However, for those of you are not convinced that this is a bad idea, I can offer you these tips to make your experience more comfortable:
· Wear a full length wetsuit and swimming cap to protect yourself as much as possible from the itch.
· Generously lather all exposed areas with Calamine lotion or Sting Goes prior to rolling.
· Hold your breath from top to bottom in order to avoid inhaling dust, pollen and grass – none of which will provide an organic high.
· Lastly, fellow pursuers of happiness, may common sense be with you. 🙂
PS: If you’d like to watch the video you can find it on our Facebook page.