I had a magic few moments this afternoon with this little chappie - amongst all the blaring of chaos, cartoons and crunch of something unmentionable on the floor and parents who are constantly frantically organising things...I took this little one up into the quiet and held Mum's old music box close to his ear for a moment and the most amazing look came over his face. For a flash the adult I hope he has the stillness and time to become, shone out.

He listened with eyes unblinking and was so quiet and still for the longest time. He let me hold him like this as long as I kept rewinding the key... its such a fast world this lot have been born into, and I really feel more sorry for them than I ever could have imagined I would have felt.

Maybe this is how it is when you get older. But still in my childhood there was no television, and all I had would have fitted into a small suitcase. But I was free to be whoever or whatever my mind and efforts would allow me to be. Play was not organised. Outings were not organised...all we did was visit relatives and the odd mushroom hunt or simple picnic...and it was really good.

For this lot of kids I hope someone gives all the yuppie parents a good shake and shows them the future a lack of limits is going to bring down upon the heads of the little ones thay have in their care. Maybe I am just getting old hey!


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