Childhood.

Today I came across all the VHS's from my childhood. First off, I would just like to say that I had a very impressive collection as a small child. There were the classics like Cinderella and Little Mermaid but some others that I had not thought of in years like Quest For Camelot and Fly Away Home. Have not seen those? Well, stop reading this and go and watch them. But seriously. . . As I sat there taking out all the VHS’s I just felt well, happy. You know how when you are a little kid and all you want to do is just grow up? You want to drive. You want to get out of the house. You want to start making your own decisions. The word independence is so far out of reach but all you want to do is just swallow it whole.

I used to want to grow up, now I am asking if maybe we can slow the clock. Sure, I am only 18 but already I have had some major milestones: My 16^th birthday, my first love, my first car, my first semester of college. Pretty soon my firsts will come to include: my first and ONLY marriage, my first kid’s birthdays, my first house and my first job as a nurse. And although this is all so close I don’t want it quite yet.

What I want is to be my 6 year old self who could sit down with her blankie in her Winnie the Pooh pajamas and watch Snow White, still believing that fairy tales are real. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I have never been to Disney World/Land, and no I am not bitter about it. . . but I have to live my life knowing that no prince charming is going to come and save me. Well that and that seven dwarfs will probably not be knocking on my door any time soon.

            So what’s the point? Ya, we grow up, we learn things, our VHS’s become DVDs. Although this is all true I think the big picture is a little more than that. When you are little everything is safe, everything is perfect. You believe that your parents are happy, but then they divorce. You believe that all people want what is best for you, but then your best friend hurts you. You believe that being little makes you weak, but then you become stronger and you wish you were little again. No matter what the truth may be, we can’t go back. 

          Life is constantly moving forward, progressing and developing. But you know, all those movies that we watched as children can help be our guide. Timon and Pumba taught me HAKUNA MATATA. Peter Pan taught me that all things take faith and trust. Mulan taught me that I must reflect before I act. Winnie the Pooh taught me what friendship really is. Every day what was a part of our childhood resonates in our thoughts, our actions and even our words. So I guess all we can do is “just keep swimming.”