When I Grow Up
"When I grow up I want to be a little boy."
Joseph Heller, Something Happened, 1974 We are raised in a selfinflicted state of foreword thinking. A sufficient number of selfhelp books and talk shows have addressed that, in order to live a happy life, we have to live in the now. But, how can we, when the future is so superimposed in our minds, that it is like an everpresent humidity? Suffocating and impossible to avoid. We reminisce over our youth, those sunshine years, with not a care in the world; why? Surely, as children, we encounter as many, if not more, daily struggles, than in our adult lives?
Different yes, less affecting, no. So, what is it about our youth that appears to be so easy and fun, in retrospect, compared to adulthood? Many people condemn their adolescence as encompassing some of the most difficult times of their lives, and yet will still look back with fondness. And even then, except in cases of poverty or abuse, not many can complain about their preschool days. Perhaps this can be ascribed not to our age but rather our attitude towards what is to come.
Think now about the typical high school student hopeful, excited about the future and enjoying their time. What about the quintessential 45 year old? The words midlifecrisis and rat race come to mind. Although many adults lead content, fulfilling lives, nine times out of ten they lack the contagious optimism of youth. Joseph Heller once wrote, "When I grow up I want to be a little boy".
I believe he said this, not because our youth is particularly easy, or better than any other part of our lives, but because, as a child, we embrace happiness. With open arms and minds, we would flow from one smile to the next. And with easy laughter came easy tears, both effortlessly obtained. As adulthood looms, our hesitation towards our own emotions grows. To protect ourselves from pain, is to prevent ourself from truly feeling happiness. Joseph
Heller recognised
Joseph Heller, Something Happened, 1974 We are raised in a selfinflicted state of foreword thinking. A sufficient number of selfhelp books and talk shows have addressed that, in order to live a happy life, we have to live in the now. But, how can we, when the future is so superimposed in our minds, that it is like an everpresent humidity? Suffocating and impossible to avoid. We reminisce over our youth, those sunshine years, with not a care in the world; why? Surely, as children, we encounter as many, if not more, daily struggles, than in our adult lives?
Different yes, less affecting, no. So, what is it about our youth that appears to be so easy and fun, in retrospect, compared to adulthood? Many people condemn their adolescence as encompassing some of the most difficult times of their lives, and yet will still look back with fondness. And even then, except in cases of poverty or abuse, not many can complain about their preschool days. Perhaps this can be ascribed not to our age but rather our attitude towards what is to come.
Think now about the typical high school student hopeful, excited about the future and enjoying their time. What about the quintessential 45 year old? The words midlifecrisis and rat race come to mind. Although many adults lead content, fulfilling lives, nine times out of ten they lack the contagious optimism of youth. Joseph Heller once wrote, "When I grow up I want to be a little boy".
I believe he said this, not because our youth is particularly easy, or better than any other part of our lives, but because, as a child, we embrace happiness. With open arms and minds, we would flow from one smile to the next. And with easy laughter came easy tears, both effortlessly obtained. As adulthood looms, our hesitation towards our own emotions grows. To protect ourselves from pain, is to prevent ourself from truly feeling happiness. Joseph
Heller recognised