Lament of a Former Toys R' Us Kid

by Adam J. Whitlatch

When did this happen to me? I clearly remember - as if it were only yesterday - digging in the sand, dirtying up the knees of my good jeans, riding my bike around the yard with the dog nipping excitedly at my back tire, climbing mountains of hay bales in the barn, playing in the snow for hours on end, not caring about the dampness or the chill, and making countless snow angels in the front yard. Why then does taking time out from my busy day to play in the sandbox seem like such a chore? Why do my knees burn with pain when I kneel to play with my son, or ache when I ride a bicycle? When did the snow become something to fear and curse through sealed windows, instead of something to cheer and celebrate amidst the falling flakes? I swore it would never happen, so how did I let it slip past me - tell me, please... when did I grow old?

6S

Adam J. Whitlatch fondly remembers a time when life wasn't about medical bills, high gas prices, needless wars, and vehicle maintenance; it was about having fun. His shorts stories have appeared in Six Sentences Volumes 1 & 2, New Voices in Horror's Underground Stash, Shroud Magazine, Dead Science, Northern Haunts: 100 Terrifying New England Tales, and Crossed Genres Magazine.