By Shawn Blackhawk
 
Growing up in America's Heartland, Shawn Blackhawk used her poetry from an early age to express herself. Her philosophy has always been: "I'll try anything once." She uses her words like a brush, painting vivid pictures, evoking as much emotion from her readers as she can. She appreciates struggles, as they pave the road to triumph, and firmly believes that the darkest parts of the human mind and soul are the only way to eventually celebrate the light. She has been recognized for Illuminating Digital Publishing Excellence by Jenkins Group (eLit Awards) and was the 2011 Silver Medal Finalist for the Electronically Published Internet Collation (EPIC Awards). Shawn's poetry book can be purchased at L-Book.com.
 
As a kid, boredom was never an option. My mother wasn’t the type to let us say the words “I’m bored.” Should you get that look in your eye and the word “I’m—” started coming out of your mouth, you were handed the duster, toilet bowl cleaner, the laundry soap, or any other multitude of what my mother termed her Weapons Against Boredom. I had to wash walls, clean the yard of dog poop, and pick rotten apples off the ground more than once.
 
Being of the generation that didn’t have Xbox, Play Station, Wii, or any number of handheld games or smart phones, we had to entertain ourselves. There were many pickup games of football, baseball, and tag. We rode our bikes, built forts in the woods, arranged massive snowball fights. We flew kites, climbed trees, and just hung out. There weren’t a lot of kids in my small neighborhood in Kokomo, Indiana, so those of us that were there became close. Kokomo wasn’t the sprawling city that it is today. There was a GM plant, a steel mill, and lots and lots of farmland. So, we entertained ourselves. This led to the development of my creativity, I think. I would make up stories and tell them to my friends or write plays that we’d act out. I learned to use my brain, my imagination, my love of reading, and my few close friends to make it through a childhood lived in a small town.
 
Now that I’m an aunt, I find that I see too many kids want to disappear into video games, phone apps, and mindless television. So when spending times with my nieces and nephews, I strive to find activities that keep them entertained, stimulated, and creative. One of my favorites is giving them disposable cameras. I’ll bring my Nikon, a few disposable cameras for them, and we’ll pick a location we want to explore. Whether it’s the zoo, the aquarium, or a park, we make a day of checking things out and recording what we see.
 
I prefer the parks. It makes for a day of hiking, picnicking, and camera work. There are so many things we overlook because our minds are on work, deadlines, housework, planning meals, getting the kids to do their homework, running them back and forth to practice, games, and other after school activities. But give a kid a camera, and they’ll show you things you’ve missed. That weird clump of moss on the side of the tree, that once you look a little more closely at, you see the stick bug. Or the way ducks look rabid and feral when they know you have bread crumbs to throw them, and aren’t. A squirrel with only his head propped out of a fallen, rotten log. And of course, the occasional picture of them or their siblings, making faces, photo bombing, or some other weird behavior that quickly becomes blackmail for when they are older!
 
My nieces and nephews will never cease to amaze me. Whether they are talented in the taking of pictures, or playing of the piano, or twirling in a tutu, I see within them the gifts that will help them grow into tremendous adults. And every now and then, they remind me that I need to slow down or just plain stop and really see what’s in front of me. I need those reminders to look at the world and life from a slightly shorter point of view.
 
So, take the opportunity to take your nieces or nephews on an outing, where a camera can be used. Develop their film with the same respect you would show any other photographer you know. Age doesn’t inhibit creativity. Once those photos are developed, hit Michael’s or Hobby Lobby and pick up some scrapbooks. Take the time to help them assemble a display of their work, talk about the day you had, what you saw, and how they felt. When that book is done, you’ll have a lifetime of memories captured, allowing both you and them the chance to relive those days over and over again. Remember, they’re only kids once, so having those literal snapshots of your time together, will last you both forever.

Published: January 23, 2013