There are ways of knowing when you've passed from childhood into adulthood. If a child is completely bored with the topics of conversation you have with your friends,you're a grown up. If you are eating something you find very delightful, and a child looks at it with disgust, that's called adulthood. If you are watching a movie you find very interesting and a child is heard in the background saying: "How much longer till it's OVER?!", you have officially said your farewells to childhood. It is through the measure of a child that we can see when we've truly made the transition Peter Pan has always feared. Let me give some examples...
Earlier this week I was conversing with my aunts and cousins from out of town. My four year old cousin kept asking all of us to come play in her room, but we were too busy talking to come. Numerous people turning her down was upsetting to her, so I tried to find a way to make it right. I told her that she could go make us pretend food, but we would only be able to play like we were costumers talking at the table. I looked her strait in the eye and said very seriously like I was letting her in on a secret: "When you turn into a big person,talking is as fun as playing with dolls, can you believe THAT?! One day you will want to talk this much, too!" She opened her mouth and gave me an amazed look. "I can't believe THAT!" she said once she finally grasped the concept. "Life is funny like that" I said to her as she ran back to her room to grab some pretend food.
A few days ago we were watching a movie at our house that was not bad, but it was geared towards older crowds. My younger cousin wanted to hang out with the older cousins so she came a long as well. The entire time she kept saying "How much LONGER?!" and at the end she said "I'm so glad THAT'S over! Now let's get outta here, hop, two, three, four..." I laughed to myself and told her that when people get older they enjoy boring movies and love to eat nasty food. What once was so unappealing somehow turns into bliss. I got a few nodding agreements from the older cousins who remember what it was like to misunderstand adults. Something happens between then and now that changes the whole meaning of fun. When does this change take place, anyway? When are mac N cheese and chicken nuggets replaced for dishes that once seemed so gross to us as children?
Life changes us. There is only a short time in our lives when talking to people comes second to toys. When movies are supposed to only be in cartoon and food is simple and fun. Our whole view of life changes with each year, and maybe I'm not done changing. Maybe I will look back and laugh at what I thought was fun now, maybe what I think is boring will one day be appealing. One thing I've learned is that I can't put anything past aging. Age does things to you...crazy things you'd never imagine.
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