Walk In the Sprinkler

Thor Challgren

I recently completed a cross-country road trip, driving from Washington, D.C. to California in just four days. Yes, I drove 2,700 miles in four days. With a schedule that confined me to a car for 12 grueling hours a day, you might think there wouldn’t be room for “fun” in the day. I certainly did.

Until I found a lawn sprinkler to play in.

On day two of my trip, I drove from the Chicago area to North Platte, Nebraska. After being on the road for 12 hours, I was REALLY looking forward to swimming in the pool at the highway-side motel.

However, upon checking in, I learned their pool was not available.

I was sorely disappointed to hear this. After all, swimming was to be the little bit of fun I could enjoy that day.

I’m participating in Dr. James’ B.O.D.S. class, where our assignment that day was to do something bold. I had envisioned doing a cannonball in the Motel 6 pool. That would’ve been both fun and bold. As I’d conceived it, my fun was dependent on that pool being open.

Sadly, it wasn’t. At this point, I could’ve given up on finding fun and letting go of boldness. And I did, at first.

Still, I went out for a 2 mile walk at 6pm to get some amount of exercise. It was in the mid 80s in this small Nebraska town. On my walk, I passed by a lawn sprinkler in front of the local medical center. That’s pretty, I thought. The sprinkler water glistened in the sun.

I took a picture and texted it to my daughter Sara. (The picture above is the one I actually sent her.)

Sara knew I was looking for something bold and said, "Why don't you go in the sprinkler?" 

Haha, I thought to myself. I can’t do that. I replied I only had one pair of shoes for the trip. She said, "Take them off." And it hit me. She was right. I couldn't swim in the hotel pool, but I could play in the sprinkler. Adulthood be damned! 

By now I was fifty yards passed the sprinkler. With each step I took, I was further away from fun. I thought for a moment. Was I too far along? What if the sprinkler stopped before I got there? What if someone saw me?

I let go of these thoughts and decided. I quickly walked back. The sprinkler was still on. I kicked off my shoes... and walked through the water.

What an experience! Out for a stroll in a strange town. Walking in my bare feet through a public sprinkler. It was…fun!

If it had just been me, maybe I wouldn't have thought of this. It took a young person, someone closer to her childhood than me, to say, "Why CAN'T you do this thing you want?” Who cares what other people think, or what’s practical? That day, in that sprinkler, I didn’t.

I love this lesson about fun and boldness. June is a great month to walk in sprinklers if you want. Just take off your shoes.