As children, it is no secret that we were very different from the people we are today. In many ways we have grown–grown to take life as seriously as it demands, grown to learn from our mistakes, and grown into contributing citizens. At other times we often wish for our days of childhood back, when the most important decision we had to make was whether to play on the swing set or the monkey bars during recess. As we wish for these days back, it’s easy to translate this longing into a desire to be free and playful again. While there is no doubt that maintaining that playful side is important to remember as we journey through life, there seems to be one aspect about childhood that we would all benefit from simply recalling instead: the ability to be yourself without caring what anyone else thinks.
Remember the days of wearing high socks and sandals just because you wanted to? Or dancing around the supermarket because you liked the song they had playing? It’s easy to call all of these quirky things we did as children just “childish things”, but when we actually put them into perspective, isn’t it about so much more?
As kids we weren’t scared of judgment. Everything we did and said was exactly what we wanted to do and say. Society’s standards didn’t control us yet. We controlled ourselves.
The world today demands so much of us, especially as young women. We are supposed to be pretty, but not beauty obsessed. Smart, but never overpowering. Confident, but certainly not conceded. Fun, but just not too much. We are constantly riddled with what we can and cannot do if we want to be accepted. Often, it seems as if no matter what we do we can never really win.
But as a child, did any of that ever matter? Before middle school cliques, and before trying to fit in, did we ever really care about what others thought? Sure, we may have been embarrassed if someone wanted to call us out for being too silly, but did it ever matter as much then as it would now? It probably didn’t. Society didn’t creep inside yet. It didn’t have control.
The truth of the matter is that we cannot turn back time. We can’t forget everything society has engraved in us over night and live life not caring anymore. Not only is it impossible, but it isn’t quite the point either. Having the ability to recognize what society demands from us as women and choosing to do what we want otherwise is the biggest favor we can do ourselves. Most likely, as children we weren’t able to recognize societal demands, so we chose to be ourselves regardless. But now as older individuals, we can see those demands. So suddenly making the choice to be who we want becomes all the more extraordinary. It isn’t about ignoring the boxes in which society has placed us. It’s about seeing them, and choosing to tear them down instead.
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Cover photo: browneyedbellejulie.blogspot.com