My preschooler and I walk my 2nd grader to school most days. I enjoy getting outdoors even when it's a little chilly and the fresh morning air starts my day off right. I love hearing the kids giggles and screams while they are playing. They warm up for their school day with tetherball, swings, various ball games, and tag.
In general, they play well with each other under limited supervision. One Halloween mask or paper airplane can cause havoc and throw off the whole playground balance. Most days are the same. I like the rhythm of the games and it makes me happy to see kids socializing.
One little boy caught my eye today. He stood alone.
In between the handball courts and tetherball frenzy, he seemed to be kicking the ground. He stood far and faced away from me. We both stood with our backs to the sun. I wondered what he was looking at on the ground. A patch of sand on the asphalt?
Then his body went into motion. He moonwalked on the slippery sand and performed some awesome breakdancing. He never took his eyes off the ground. He never faced my way. I'm sure the playground melted away as he imagined dancing to his own music. I'm sure he'd be embarrassed if he knew he had an audience. He kept on for about ten minutes. Moving so smooth and making the dance look effortless.
In the last few moments, before the school bell rang, I figured out the object of his focus.
The sun beat on his back, low in the sky, to make a shadow of his dance moves on the blacktop.
