"Children find all aspects of nature fascinating and all manner of activity fun in the making, whether it be jumping in puddles, having mud baths, chasing rainbows or making a wish to a full moon in the dark of night.They are fascinated by all creatures large and small, especially creatures with wings, whether fictional or factual. They love slimy snakes that slither through the long grass, dragons that breathe fire, and frogs whom they love to squeeze until their eyes bulge. They delight in the touch of sticking their finger into a bowl of jelly, scraping out the jam jar, followed by picking their nose and scrutinising the contents before eating it! Watching a blacksmith shoe a horse makes them cringe in fearful anticipation as the nails are hammered into the hoof.
While most children love all manner of pet creature, boys have a particular fondness for rats with long tails who are known to make friends so easily with any human who is prepared to house them in their shirt pocket and close to their heart or inside their trousers. They also love the look of shock they can produce upon the face of innocent girls whenever they take out their pet rat from beneath their clothes and swing it in front of female eyes.
The thing that fascinates me most about children is their capacity to trust all manner of things strange, and their willingness to interact with it within minutes of first acquaintance, as though they'd been lifelong friends. Children live in a world of magic that adults once had, but lost. They find magic in all they see because they look for it in every corner of curiosity, just like witnessing a caterpillar in the belly of a matchbox turn into a butterfly. They seek magic in stolen moments that adults have abandoned and have forgotten how to treasure. They can still feel that something is magical, even when they know how it's done, and feeling a hidden baby in the making inside mum's pregnant tummy is the most magical experience of all! When asked, 'How will it get out?' wise mums might reply, 'The same way it got in!' Parent's, if you supply this answer to their initial inquiry, beware of the 'follow-up' question as children always ask questions in two and threes: 'But...but how did it get in?'
If only adults could harness the magic of a child and bottle it for the benefit of mankind, the world would turn more smoothly and spin in equal favour of all. We would then be able to refashion the world today through their indiscriminate eyes of innocence, employing their thoughts of purity and hearts of compassion in all we did. We would establish a humane code of conduct and lay down expectations that all would willingly ascribe to and follow.
So, never mind listening to the politicians. Instead, observe the priorities of any young child who would do a much better job of ruling the world than any adult. They would first feed, house, clothe and protect every man woman and child on the planet, before going out to play!" William Forde: February 3rd, 2016.