When do we lose it?



Mom, when do we lose the joys in the simple things? Like, blowing bubbles or watching butterflies or building with legos or playing make-believe with dolls. I'm nineteen, and they haven't lost their appeal yet. My friends all enjoy them, as far as I know. I don't expect a change at college - I see college students as having snowball fights and hula hoop contests and watching the latest Disney movie with their friends and eating animal crackers. But somewhere around the age of 24, when we hit the work world, I don't see that happening. I sure hope it doesn't happen to me. It is because we work for people who are older and don't do those things, and so we feel we must conform? How appropriate the term "vicious circle." I wouldn't want to help spread that. Is it because we feel that being "responsible" means that we can't have fun in the old ways? It so, are there new ways to have fun when you "grow up"? If not, I don't want any part in it! Is it because everyone gets too busy? That would be awful, but scarily, it's the most likely that I can see. I don't want to be so busy that I can't take the time to enjoy the simple pleasures, to bask in the sunlight, to marvel at God's creation in the smallest creature. Are zoos only for children? Playgrounds only for those under ten? Storytime only for toddlers? (Nap time only for pre-school?) I hope that I can always enjoy these things, and that I will always have people to enjoy them with. After all, what fun is a playground if you don't have anyone to see-saw with? How can you play house alone? Who's going to pop the bubbles if you're the only one? You can't send your lego men to war against invisible armies. You know what? I think that the memory is the first thing to go. People forget how to have fun. It's got to be this world we've made for ourselves. Obviously children are born with the ability, since the adults don't set the example. But we - they - lose it. Well, I won't. I am bound and determined, I will not be one of those adults. I'm going to stay a child at heart, and I'm going to keep as many of my friends children with me as possible. And when everyone is sitting in their offices all stressed, they can look out their windows and see us blowing bubbles in the lawn, and remember that there's more to life than deadlines and bills. :)