Okay, how exactly did time fly so fast that I find myself writing about what I miss about my childhood? I feel so old, I could cry—but I won’t, because being a child was an amazing experience, despite not feeling like it at the time. You know how they say sometimes you cannot recognize a blessing whilst you’re living in it? That’s my exact sentiment about being a child. I miss playing outside with my neighborhood friends, being pampered, watching cartoons, and reading tons of books. Let me not get too ahead of myself here. There’s so much I could write about, but I’ve summed it up in a few points!
- Time
They say that time waits for no man. This reality does not present itself as valid or agreeable until you look back and realize that being a child seems like forever ago. As a child, you couldn’t wait to grow and become like the “big kids” because you didn’t realize those big kids had an awful amount of responsibility assigned to them. As I have grown up enough to be called an “adult,” I realize that I miss having time. I could read two books in a sitting just for the heck of it. There was no need to schedule times for my hobbies. But now, everything is so constrained and rigid. When I was little, time did not seem to move fast enough and now I would much rather live in a reality that aligns with this, because time flies way too fast as an adult.
- Memories
Most people get a sense of nostalgia when they remember their childhood; I do too! Being a child was so much more joyful and fun. I was able to make mistakes and not be too hard on myself. I would play with my brothers, get hurt, cry a bit, and then go right back to it. I have found that being an adult means being too hard on yourself, overthinking, and sometimes taking things a little too seriously to the extent that it hurts one’s mental stability. Adventures were an everyday affair as a child, and even if there was nothing new to do, you came up with something. Somehow, adulthood puts a stop to these adventures and life only gets harder as it draws a line between adventures and reality. Somehow, adventures seem to be a kid thing and reality is presented as a better choice. But who says adventures and reality cannot coexist?
- Letting things go
In grade school, you would argue with your favorite buddy and it didn’t take less than a day to resolve whatever issue it was. Holding grudges was not a booming business. Tit for tat as an adult is the new norm of the day, and not conforming to this ideology points one out to be weak and easily malleable. The ability to let things go decreases by the second. It has become an ego affair as our minds have become more saturated with things that we don’t need. I miss just being able to not overthink and actually be at peace.
- Dreaming
I don’t mean sleep and dreams, guys—I most definitely still am able to dream when I fall asleep. By dreaming, I mean that I miss being able to aspire to greater things, no matter how absurd it was. Many people reckon dreaming as a “child thing,” which is true because as you get older, society doesn’t make room for adults to dream. You’re mostly expected to have it all figured out. Let me not be too cynical here, I mean you can still dream, of course, but it’s difficult to be able to even believe in the dream you dream. Remember when you were a child and stood behind a dream with all the conviction in the world because you were certain it would happen? Yes, I miss that passion!
- Being a child
Lastly, I just miss being a child. I miss being little me with little to no worries, no anxieties. I was put in a position where people did not expect too much from me than what I could actually give. The pampering aspect too was seriously the best part! My biggest worry might have been how to convince my parents to get me a new toy, or that one favorite snack, or be able to watch that one movie they didn’t want me to. As an adult, I have too much freedom and not enough zeal or will power to use it because it just gets so overwhelming. Everything has consequences that can have a domino effect.
I hope you loved this piece and at least got a chance to reminisce a bit. We all deserve a break sometimes. I challenge you to channel your inner child this week!