rolling hills abound here. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
“I still get an uncontrollable urge to roll down a grassy hill, especially on a summer day, with the grass mown smooth and the earth smelling warm. There is a simple wholeness to it, a clarity of cause and effect. The best part is the beginning, at the top, feeling the rolling first in the dreaming of it: rolling straight and fast, faster still, gathering force as I fall.” ~ Elizabeth Long, “Life in the Clearing”, The Harrowsmith Country Reader
I remember rolling down gentle hills when I was a little girl. Dressed in plaid shorts and a jersey I would throw my whole self into the activity. There was nothing more important. No thought of grass stained clothes. Or getting twigs and bugs and leaves in my hair. Just the lovely freedom of falling, and knowing that at the bottom of the hill, I would get up, brush myself off and run to the top again to repeat the pursuit of freedom—the letting go and just rolling down the hill.
As we get older, we lose that freedom. We care about getting our clothes stained. We care about keeping our hair just so. We care that someone will see us and judge our lunacy. If I tried rolling down a hill today, I would probably break a hip, or turn my ankle running back up the hill, or get too dizzy to jump up again. (My dad was right, getting old is hell, though I will never admit to getting old, I understand his sentiment.)
There are ways to roll down the hill if not physically, actually and literally—at least metaphorically, symbolically and representationally (yes I am using my thesaurus again). The hill is still there to conquer and I am still that little girl in plaid shorts with my tangled pony tail and huge smile. There is still a lot of life left and I am going to take Erma Bombeck’s advice to herself when she found out she had cancer:
“…(if) given another shot at life, I would seize every minute; look at it and really see it; live it and never give it back….”
Tell me what your little bit of lunacy would be…………..
On the Homefront 
I did try to roll down a hill recently, and I did get so dizzy I felt like I was going to be sick. I waited a couple of minutes and did it again with the same result. Even though I thought I’d puke, it was still a lot of fun to just let go and be a kid again.
good for you not to give up — even with the dizzy feeling you got to feel like a kid again — nothing better!
We are in our renaissance (I prefer that to the thought of getting old-er)…And lunacy? I still engage in that on a regular basis. I have always thought that I was in far better touch with my inner child than my outer grown-up..:-)
you have hit the nail on the proverbial head — I seem to be just full of cliches today!
Wonderful….
[…] On The Homefront: Rolling down grassy hills […]
why thank you kind sir
Several years ago I was in a children’s park and jumped on the merry go round….the kind you run with to get it going, then jump on….big mistake…..so dizzy! Used to love it as a kid, not so much as an adult. I like the idea of being a kid again, just not on a merry go round.
I cannot do the merry go round at all — never could go in a circle
If I could I would love to ski down a hill with white fluffy snow blowing in my face… Diane
I tried to ski once–it is not within my skill set–yet I can see why people like it
I’d roll down the nearest slope but there are guards keeping an eye at the place. Miss the days when they weren’t there.
puts a whole different complexion on it doesn’t it?
I used to love doing that…..I would be afraid to try it these days!
only in my mind!
Now I just enjoy the smell of the fresh cut grass without rolling through it.
me too – 🙂
If I could go back I would like to not chicken out this time and go sky diving.
wow–that is quite wonderful lunacy!
That’s what I thought when I arrived to give it a try and drove away instead. Its the only thing I’ve never done, out of fear.
you are still young 🙂
If you say so😊
I say so!
I loved to roll when I was a kid. I loved to twirl too. Perhaps it was the idea that the world was turning at a different direction to me. My bit of lunacy would be to break into the library at night and rearrange all the books.
that would cause quite an uproar!
I’m not afraid of staining my clothes since most of them are stained. A) I hate shopping. B) I won’t use bleach. C) I’m a messy eater. I’m afraid of the pain. After being on crutches four times, breaking my thumb three times, breaking my elbow, my kneecap, every toe (this is an estimate) and a nasty car accident I now know what pain is. Oh and I had my stomach muscles cut in surgery (hernia) and couldn’t take any pain pills since they make me sick. That was a miserable week. I should note, none of these injuries were from rolling down hills. None of my injuries are cool and are a result of being a fool, stupid, idiot, and nitwit. so no rolling down hills. I will sit on a hill and read a book. A small hill, in case I topple over and roll down.
you are both funny and I feel sorry for you at the same time–but I too am sticking to just sitting on hills these day with a good book, and small ones so I, like you will not topple over
Well, where should I start?? You wrote this post for me didn’t you LOL!! I don’t care one bit if people judge my lunacy, and if a hill appeared before me right now I would not hesitate to roll down it and I would make you do it too :). I would probably roll down a little more carefully than when I was a kid, but I would still attempt it :).
Ok, let’s see what “loony” things I like to do. I still love driving through small towns and waving at people as if I know them to see what their reaction will be. I love the puzzled looks on their faces and how some of them actually wave back because they think they are supposed to know me. I also love embarassing my kids in the theatre by whistling or making comments out loud when a hot guy comes on the screen LOL! Although I’m not a big fan of crowds, I also still love going to really loud concerts and standing right up at the front squished in with everyone else and jumping up and down and singing at the top of my lungs.
Don’t worry though – most of the time I’m actually pretty boring :).
you cannot possibly be boring–and you would fit in on Pelee Island–it is a decree over there that when they hear a car or see somebody walking or on a bike that they wave and smile and say hi, so you would be one of them with no trouble! I love your lunacy (note the word loony could be derived from it)
🙂
LOL! What a great post! My bit of lunacy would be to do a backbend!
I used to do them all the time – just to stretch. The feeling was utter joy, but I’m afraid if I tried it now, my back might break. 🙂
I am afraid if I did a backbend I would stay in that position forever!
I like to jump on the back of the grocery cart and roll out to my car as fast as I can.
I used to do that when my kids were in the car for a bit of a thrill
Thank you for reminding me of that lovely memory of rolling down hills. Since I moved to Florida, I can’t even walk barefoot in the grass because of fire ants…everywhere! But, when I go back home to mom’s house in the Chicago burbs, I kick off my sandals and run around in the cool grass wiggling and crunching my toes between the blades.
I love going barefoot in “safe” grass–nothing better
Rolling down hills, skiing down hills, bracing the knees to walk down hills ~ that was the fun part ~ now it’s all pretty much down hill from here! My little bit of lunacy would be to visit all the hills where I’ve never been.
that is a good bit of lunacy
I recently had a party and we all blew bubbles! Little bubbles with the wands and also great big bubbles that we had to dip the stick/wands into a bucket! Every adult there oohed and aahed like kids! Great fun!
it is fun to do kid things isn’t it?
Absolutely!
Oh, I loved that post! Rolling down hills used to be such fun! I would love to do it still but think it might hurt now….. Bubble blowing – now that is really good fun! 🙂