WARNING: NOSTALGIA AHEAD

When did my childhood end? I guess you could say it was when I turned thirteen, but was I really any more mature then, rather than when I was twelve? In the transition to adulthood, thirteen seems too young to say I am no longer a child. I wish I could revert back to the good ole' days when all I had to worry about was...nothing. Childhood should never have to end. Why could I not just bring a piece of childhood with me through the rest of my life? I do not mean I want to act like a giant five-year-old. But why not be a little less carefree and enjoy some of the simple things. Why can I no longer have friends over just to hang out and play with dolls? Or maybe not to play with dolls, but just to play. (Why did I all of a sudden stop playing?) When I grew up, my imagination dwindled and I do not see why that needed to happen. I feel like a part of growing older for me meant to put aside my childish tendencies like imagining the craziest things possible. Now my imagination only goes toward thinking about possible awkward events and fore-planning conversations (I know how lame). No longer am I thinking in a creative way.

And with this lack of creativity, I am left with the thought that this has definitely happened to other people. If this did not happen there would have been so many more creative ideas in the world: cool inventions, new technology, simply more ways to hold onto our childhood creativity. Would the world be so much better off if the loss of imagination from childhood to adulthood did not happen? We would think so much bigger, have such a greater point of view. I think that the world would be more amazing and magical if we tried to hold on to childhood instead of trying to grow out of it as soon as possible. I wish I was not four years late in this realization and wished I could have grown up slower.

To all the kids out there, please savor your youth, savor your creative tendencies, savor your no deadline lifestyle, because things will change, and you will be faced with bigger problems, and your life will end up changing in a second, and you will wish you were still a child instead of having grown up way too fast. Keep creating, keep thinking of the fantastic possibilities for the world rather than trying to adapt your view to everyone else's. Being mature does not mean refraining from thinking outside of the box. Growing up does not mean losing your imagination. So, please hold on to your imaginations.