Play is solemnity, not silliness. Adults who try to “recapture their childhood” often do so by trying to capture the whimsy of childhood. But play is serious for children, not whimsical. It’s whimsical for adults to watch, so the wires get crossed. They are “recapturing” the feeling of watching themselves watch children, watching their own memories, not of being a child. To recapture your childhood energy, take something incredibly seriously.
Never understood the hate around small talk. Talking to my 70 yr old neighbor about the weather, how terrible the tomato plants are doing, or how long her grass is getting always feels so grounding & human. Really takes me out of my schizoness and draws me back into this reality