The Child In You

The Child In You

“A grownup is a child with layers on…”
                                         - Woody Harrelson

  We all adore children, don’t we? We marvel at their curiosity, their innocence, and their blissful oblivion to worldly matters. We try to protect them from the ‘cold and harsh’ world outside, right up to the time we think they may be ready to bear the brunt of it. We wish they could remain children forever, never grow up, and never complicate their lives…

Being midway through my teens myself, I do find that I miss my childhood. Yes, for many, fifteen is still being a child, but I’d say fifteen is the new eighteen! Fifteen year-olds today have way too many responsibilities; we have seen way too much of the ‘cold, harsh’ world to remain children anymore. We have increasing competition to deal with, career choices to make early on, establish who our ‘self’ is, and live our childhood in a blink. Most of the time, we just end up wishing we had a little more time…

So, recently, in a lighthearted attempt to reminisce in my childhood, I played myself a few songs of Raffi. And, to my surprise, the simple lyrics and Raffi’s sincere voice made my hair stand on end. Likewise, just a day prior to this event, I held my newborn cousin in my hands for the first time, and I felt a sudden connection to my own little self- the tiny child in me that never ceases to exist…

This compels me to pose a question to everyone reading, that why is it that we insist on changing and protecting our children, instead of changing our world? Why is it that we suppress the child in us, never realizing that, in the process, we are fashioning a world sans the qualities of innocence, laughter and carefreeness?

We crave for a world without terrorism; we crave for life without fear. We yearn to spend days where we may sit back and actually savor life. We wish we could believe in childish things- Santa Claus, tooth fairies, soft toys, magic… We want to trust without doubt, we want to form bonds without anxiety of them breaking. Isn’t this what a child manages to do, without any difficulty?

Let us stop wishing and wanting- let us do what we’ve desired to; let us all bring out the child in us. Let us look at the world from the eyes of a child. Let us work toward creating a world, which allows us to live life to the fullest, with the incorruptible nature of a child. Let us smile and be happy without reason, let us be goofy and messy and forget about being improper or unsophisticated. Let us learn to embrace peace, and stop thinking about impediments like war and fights. Let us believe in magic, in unicorns, in all things that make us wonder, make us imagine.


Bring out the child in you, and let us watch the world change. Bring out the child in you, and let us build a world out of building blocks. Bring out the child in you, and have faith that love exists, that war can end, and anything is possible….

Comments

  1. Aseem Chandawarkar9 November 2014 at 20:01

    Very well said, Anjali. I would go further to say that there is no need to stereotype what a "child in you" is and to fall to compromises resulting from having to conform to the stereotype of adolescence/adulthood and implied societal norms. The constraints are more in your mind than in anyone else's as everyone else is too preoccupied to conform themselves than worry about your conformance. The key is to live with spontaneity and enjoy the moment!

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  2. Unknown10 November 2014 at 08:10

    Grown-ups never understand anything for themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them - Saint Exupery, The Little Prince, 1943
    But thanks Anjali...for explaining to me the essence of life every once in a while ��

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  3. Learnings of Life19 November 2014 at 00:24

    Well written Anj!! well expressed.. keep it up

    Adults can only wish this was true and they could change the world. Quite a few even give a serious attempt at it and I salute them for the baby step they have taken, but world has changed to such an extent that at times its seems irreparable. Therefore the only thing that is left is our child whom we can definately mold to face this wierd world. For the rest of us we still try to change it in our own possible way and sincerely hope its a better place to live in.

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