Observation
Sitting in a window seat at the Emporium. I just saw, on the sidewalk, a small boy, 3 or 4 years old, following a man, presumably his dad, stop dead in his tracks, get on his hands and knees, and lay down on the concrete, still wet from last night's storm, stomach down, arms by his side, cheek to the ground.

My first reaction was: How dirty, he's gonna get sick. My second reaction was: It's amazing that kids just do whatever they want most of the time, no social inhibitions, only ever holding back because of scolding parents. My third reaction was: What was that impulse?

He got up almost immediately, just as he'd lay down: back up on his hands and knees, then to standing. He did this just as his dad was turning around to meet him- whether or not his dad said something to get him up I don't know. I didn't look at the man's face until after the boy arose- he did not look angry or embarrassed, he didn't say anything. My first reaction to that was: Did this boy do this regularly? My second reaction was: This man seems like a good father- he didn't scold his son in public, but rather gathered him up and they continued their walk.