Ah, to be young again. To possess such an unwavering curiosity in almost everything the world has to offer. Most childhood memories we cherish as adults are but fleeting glimpses that embellishes these formative years. It’s not until you have kids, nieces and nephews that you understand just how precious that time was. Just how much freedom you truly had. Now I’ve eulogized profusely the importance that my childhood has had on me and it’s continued reverence in my mind. And it’s comforting to see the same energy infused in the kids today. With a child at primary school age providing the perfect environment to observe the eclectic and precocious characteristics of youth of today. They have yet to be discouraged by the world and its volatile desire for self destruction.
They have no filter. No ego. They don’t share our prejudices that we as adults have adopted, except for those imposed by parents. My daughter attends a school with a varied and diverse group, from many different backgrounds, ethnicities and cultures. She is afforded the rather fortuitous luxury to be around so many interesting kids, that despite their differences speak a colloquial language that only other kids understand. They are imbued with such a flourishing creativity and a boundless imagination that we as adults simply can’t comprehend. They aren’t hindered by years of resentment instilled by the cynicism in our society. There is nothing that can’t be achieved. No dream is too outlandish. No idea is impossible. There is no malice. No resentment towards others. They don’t judge people by the colour of their skin or question the ancestry of others. That’s not even a concept for them! There’s also an earnestness that supercedes all social etiquette, that I find so profoundly endearing.
Most of all they aren’t restrained by the crippling anxiety that afflicts you when you discover just how punishing life can be. Sure they get nervous by irrational circumstances, such as spiders, darkness and grandma’s hairy upper lip, but its a purity that only becomes more spiritually polluted by society. You are never as creative, inquisitive and possess such an unquenchable thirst for knowledge as you do before you become a teenager. The “why” question is often dismissed as a triviality to be ignored. “Why do you need to know the reason for the grass being green? It just is!”. These are inquiries that deserve encouragement. And if you don’t know, then perhaps you can both find out together. There are after all no silly questions, just asinine answers. I can’t help but feel that a little more critical thinking from most adults would serve mankind much better!
Game, Complain, Repeat 