June 2010
“The wheel has come full circle. I am here.” – so quoth Edmund in Shakespeare’s King Lear.
Today I observed a small child getting up from the floor. He had been playing with blocks, quite happily building them into a tower and knocking them down again, content to do this activity without help from or communication with anyone else thus enabling his Mum to enjoy a peaceful moment chatting. The effort of attaining the upright position proved to be rather more difficult for him than building a brightly coloured tower. The shifting of weight from limb to limb as he strove for balance must have been rather as that which happened through evolution from early creature to human being, although not taking quite the same length of time.
As he finally achieved his purpose he stood proudly, but with some uncertainty, achieving a moment of stillness whilst considering a new direction to take and fresh fields to conquer.
As ever, I marvelled at his developing dexterity and the wonder of the human form before it struck me, quite forcibly, that I, with somewhat aging limbs, am at about the same stage of development – the wheel having come full circle.
At the end of Circle Time as the older Little Dragons gather eagerly to hand out dishes for fruit, there are those of us who, having sat in comfort on cushions during the story and singing, then have to face the indignity, the lack of poise, the wobbling, as we strive to regain the upright position. It used to be easy – one simply rose with grace and dignity. So, where did the lightness and agility disappear to? I know I am not the only one who seems to have mislaid it. Perhaps we could put a notice in the Beano!
LOST!
AGILITY, ABILITY & SUPPLENESS
IF WHEREABOUTS KNOWN, PLEASE RETURN
NO REWARD – CAN’T AFFORD ONE!
Val Butterworth