Growing up in a world so full of grave disappointments can
be cumbersome, so we tend to hold on to any part of our youth, be it a movie we
watched when we were young, or books we read or precious memories. This makes
us feel safer. Brings us back to a time when we were innocent, when life was
not intimidating, where experiences were new and opportunity was knocking at
every door.
Life tends to bash us down sometimes, we take
beatings from every corner, and the smallest of mistakes become the gravest of
consequences. Yet there was a time when we were young, and mistakes were easily
forgiven, life was so much simpler. Which brings about the question, isn't a
simpler life the better part? A life where there is no competition in goals and
ability, where everyone lives with values of unity and family bond, where money
is just a means to an end and not the central focus. A simple life. No greed,
no judgment, no societal pressure. A place where you allowed to make mistakes
and grow from them.
So what does growing up really mean? Is it letting go of
childish whims? Or learning that the world is made of glass and can shatter
around you at any moment? Or having the strength to watch those you once
thought were your heroes fall from grace? Or is it the ability to love with a
heart so big that you can forgive anything and anyone, that you can laugh at
your pain and smile through your sorrow in the end remembering that this world
is just temporally, it’s all just a test…
Grown up is a funny terminology, how often do we find
children who are grown up in character and adults who act like children. Who deems
who a grown up? Are we grown up because we've reached a certain age? Or do we
grow up when our mind matures around the sordid world we live in? And in the
end who gets to decide this?
In this big bad world its okay to enjoy being a child at heart,
watching childhood cartoons and movies, reading books you did when you were young
(which for me includes Pride and Prejudice).
Holding on to these memories reminds one that once upon a time you were okay, and
so was the world around you, once upon a time you had hope, and maybe, just maybe you can find it in you, trough the memories of once upon a time to find that hope and
renew that strength for the here and now. Because life sometimes throws you
around, each of us have our own way of bringing ourselves back up.