Memories of Ratty
James Cathcart
January 10, 2017
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Psalm 8:1-2
“O Lord, our Sovereign,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
Out of the mouths of babes and infants
you have founded a bulwark because of your foes,
to silence the enemy and the avenger.”
This week in Journaling the Journey I’ve been thinking about the Foothills - those early adventures, tests, and challenges that shape us up for the higher peaks ahead on life’s journey. Some of my favourite memories of childhood come from my mum’s drama class. Once I played the debonair Ratty, in an adaptation of The Wind in the Willows, a gift of a part for a small boy who regularly wore waistcoats and bowties of his own free will. I remember being nervous standing in the wings in my dapper boating ensemble but then, stepping out into the bright lights of the church hall, taking the length of rope that was my tail, giving it a twirl and thinking, ‘I’ve got this.’
Drama is a fantastic gift to childhood. Just as it is good for children to have a stab at kicking and chasing things in the name of sports or try their hand at murdering a musical instrument, more children should be given the opportunity to lark about doing some drama. Storytelling, communication, posture, voice, confidence, insight and self-awareness all have a chance to develop. Children can’t help but perform, making up adventures and silly rhymes. Pretending and performing and making each other laugh is how we develop as children…and it’s also how we develop as adults. Drama, singing and all forms of storytelling help us bridge the gap and keep the child inside alive. As we see in Psalm 8, children are irrepressible, telling it like it is.
As any tech-savvy parent might say, ‘What’s the difference between Instagram and a child? A child has no filter.’ ‘Dad you’ve got massive bags under your eyes’ #NoFilter. ‘Mum, Auntie Sasha’s cakes are just like yours except her’s taste nice.’ #NoFilter. “Jesus looks so sad in that picture, I just want to hug him” #NoFilter.
Drama and other forms of storytelling help us to negotiate childlike honesty and adult caution, the enthusiasm and the wisdom. But as we get older it is easy to apply too many filters and miss the original picture.
Dear God
Help us keep the honesty of childhood
the ability to share
the willingness to perform
the inclusivity to draw others into our story.
Amen.
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