Shadow Puppets

I hate when shadow puppets try to eat my dinner without asking first.

Alright, that isn’t really what I’m ranting about today. But if my almost-3-year-old nephew were writing a blog, that for sure would be his soap box rant for the day.

Since my last post was rather negative and angry, I figured it’d be nice to share something a little lighter.

Tonight, while waiting for his dinner, my nephew discovered the wonderful world of shadows. He had seen shadows before, and chased them on the ground, but he had never put it together that he, too, had a shadow. He shook his head back and forth, and waved his hand, all the while watching the setting sun cast a shadow against our wooden kitchen table.

My mother (my nephew’s grandmother) then began to create shadow puppets to entertain him while his dinner was almost ready. A fair amount of them ended up looking like a crane game machine claw, but the effort and energy were there. I then thought I’d give shadow puppetry a shot. I was able to create a snake with great ease. And, although it took a minute, my bunny rabbit was rather convincing. I finally created an animal that has a very big mouth and, as far I’m concerned, doesn’t exist. I made sounds that this fictional animal might make. And finally, this shadowy figure began to work its way closer and closer to my nephew, until it ultimately started to “eat” my nephew. He giggled with excitement as he covered this animal with his napkin, only to find the animal magically on top of the napkin.

Well dinner was served at last. My nephew’s dinner of pasta and bread and butter was served on a Spongebob Squarepants plate, and set onto his placemat. Unbeknownst to the food, the unnamed shadow creature was still lurking. It slowly worked its way toward the delicious looking dinner and pounced! Now we all know that this was merely my hand’s shadow, but my nephew was having no part of it. He yelled, “No! That’s my food!”

It’s in times like this that I miss the innocence of childhood. One moment this imaginary shadow creature was a playmate, and the next it was fighting my nephew for his food.

Since the mission of my blog is to focus on our sensibility as humans, here is my question: When in our development of sensibility did playing pretend go from being fun to being weird?

I love to play pretend. Whether it’s in the form of shadow puppets, pretending to be a brave knight in battle with my nephew, telling him a story with funny voices, or even being on stage (where I'm truly at home,) playing pretend is the best. Have you played pretend lately?

Until next time.

kp