These past few weeks I have been working at a summer camp and watching the kids have the time of their life. Something as small as a game of dodgeball would brighten a kid's day instantly and it made me think of how easy and great it was to be a kid. I remember going to camp and never wanting to go back home because I was having so much fun. I remember living with no fear because I didn’t know of anything to be scared of. Being an adult has its perks, but to be an innocent child again would be the ultimate dream.
As I was working summer camp, wishing I was the kid instead of the counselor, I listened to stories from the kids about how they went flying off the tube into the water and all I could think of was all of the bacteria and alligators. I heard them tell me stories about their incredibly competitive dodgeball games and I was more concerned with someone slipping and falling and being in charge of telling their parents. Although I truly enjoyed watching each and every kid have the time of their life, I would have loved to be a camper.
Another perk of being a kid is being able to see the beauty in everything and everyone. In a world where hate and violence are the norm, I would truly give anything to still be naive. I want to turn on the TV to watch a show about a pop star living a double life instead of turning on the news to hear about the latest political news. I want to turn off the radio and listen to my favorite CD instead of turning it on to hear about the most recent shooting. I would truly give anything to go back to my childhood vowing to never complain about being too young to do anything again.
Now that I have listed all of the reasons being an adult isn't always fun, I would like to say all of the reasons being a kid is great. Reason Number 1: Chores are your only occupation and getting an allowance is the highlight of the week. Reason Number 2: Your parents will always be there to bail you out of your mistakes. Although you will probably be sent to your room and reprimanded, your parents will always be there to help you clean up your mess. Reason Number 3: Making friends was much easier as a kid. Literally all it took to make a friend as a kid was, “hey, wanna play?” and you instantly had a new best friend. Finally, Reason Number 4: Birthdays were enjoyed instead of dreaded. As a kid, every birthday came with a princess or dinosaur themed party where you and all of your friends had the time of your life.
Being a kid was great. Although there are some downfalls to childhood, I would love to be 9 instead of 19 right about now. Being carefree, innocent, and unaware is one of the biggest blessings I never knew I had.
“We spend our whole childhood wanting to grow up faster. But we spend our whole adult life, wanting to go back to the simplicity of being a kid again.”
