Old Enough to be Young

Someday you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.

C.S. Lewis

When I was a child, knowing what was right and wrong was easy. Either its right or it’s wrong. Does it hurt someone? Then it’s wrong. Does it make someone happy? Then it’s right. A pretty simple philosophy when you place happiness as a priority. Running around, climbing trees, playing games, making friends, treating animals kindly.

The life of a child is simple. If it rained you got wet. If you get hurt, a kiss could magically make everything better. And yet the shadow of the horrible “You’ll understand when you’re older” looms over the child as the terrible death of innocence.

So I started to grow older, not by choice mind you. And then I became opinionated, and rebellious, and socially minded. I began rebelling against what was established, believing in a radical concept, if it hurts someone, it’s wrong. And again I was force fed “You’ll understand when you’re older” as an excuse to do wrong to people.

And at some point in my life I grew up. I am not sure when it happened. The playful child turned into the rebellious teen, who in turn became the “older guy who understands.” Being right became more important than doing right. Doing well became more important than doing good. Do you know what the price for “growing up” is? Happiness stopped being a priority.

So I decided that I don’t want to be the “older guy who understands.” I want to go back to the days when if it rains, you get wet, and if you get hurt, a kiss could magically make everything better. So I have decided to play, to love, and to live. I have realized that the child I was before new a lot more about life than the man I grew up into.

If anyone wants to find me, look for me fighting imaginary dragons, or building sand castles, or dancing, or laughing, or looking for a kiss to make everything better or simply splashing in the rain!