A dear friend posted a picture of me on Facebook yesterday. Usually, I am fully prepared for those “Soandso has posted a picture of you” notifications. I love being in pictures, taking pictures, and then telling people to upload them, so I am often awaiting their posting. This one caught me a bit off guard. [Internal dialogue – “Crap… what embarrassing shot has she dug up..”]

I was pleasantly surprised by this old-school gem:

The picture was captioned “The Glory Days” and by the looks on all of our adorable faces, I’m pretty sure we all agreed with the description then too. (Gold star for being able to tell which kid is me…)

It got me thinking, as nostalgic pics are prone to do. I remembered The Glory Days – blissful, carefree childhood. We had fun and smiled for pictures, not a worry in the world. If there was a worry, it was most likely in regards to whose turn it was to play Cinderella.

Ah yes, Play Pretend. Anybody who grew up as my childhood friend will probably remember Play Pretend. It was my game of choice. As the “title” states, we simply pretended. Imaginations ran at full speed, creating elaborate plots, characters, and scenes. We had amazing adventures, racing through backyards, over and under couches, around basements, living rooms, or wherever we happened to be Playing Pretend. Animals could talk, we could fly, and anything was possible.

I don’t think the Glory Days are over.

Sure, life is a tad more complicated now. For one, I no longer live next door to my Play Pretend buddies. I have a few more responsibilities, (job? bills? say what?) and I have a much closer relationship with “Reality”. That being said, my imagination still runs at full speed. Animals do talk, we can fly, and anything is possible.

Never stop dreaming. Just don’t forget to wake up and make those dreams a happen. We don’t have that relationship with Reality for nothing.
Always, Alissa Jean