If any of you know where that lyric is from, can we please be best friends? And, for those of you that don't know, it's the first line of the chorus of a Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen movie song- specifically their mall adventure. During this song, the twins and their friends are going from toy store to toy store, singing this Peter Pan-esque song about never wanting to grow up. This song has come back to me time and again over the past week or so.
Along with this song, many other images from my childhood have come to mind. It's almost as if my life is flashing before my eyes, as it would if I were dying, although I surely am not. I am, however, yearning for the simpler times, due to some recent adult stresses, which I will divulge at a later time once I become more comfortable. But anyways, I have been reminiscing about school field trips, middle school, riding the bus, and the first time I received a B, all the way back in fourth grade. I have been reliving my life in my mind because my current state of life has become harder and harder to live.
I've been trying to remember what it was like to think as a child and view the world from an adolescent point of view, and I've discovered that I cannot. I cannot go back in time, as I so desperately want to; I can only go forward.
However, I have discovered ways to visit the past, and they have been most beneficial and rewarding that I hope you'll try them with me:
- Reading: I haven't read a book cover to cover (that wasn't for school) in such a long time, I honestly can't remember the last non-academic volume I read. So I have decided to read. I have read old favorites that always bring me great comfort; I have read self-help books for my current adult woes; and I've read more of the Bible over the past two weeks than I have my entire life (sad but true). Through all this reading, I have grown closer to God and myself, trying more and more to be comfortable with silence. Who knew that getting away from the distractions of the world and getting in touch with your inner child would bring one closer to God. Oh wait...
- Coloring: And I don't mean those fancy-smancy adult coloring books; I mean good old-fashioned coloring, with a basket of crayons and a big fat picture of a duck. I got so into it, I colored two dollar store children's coloring books and have now started to create my own coloring pages. I am no artist by any means (when I found out I wasn't required to take art in high school, I leapt for joy), but coloring has been extremely calming and nostalgic.
- Listening to Tapes: Yeah, you read that right- tapes, cassette tapes. Ever since I was born, I've been listening to a radio theatre program called Adventures in Odyssey. I got away from listening to it this past year, so when I decided to revisit my childhood, this was one of my first stops. The stories are so comforting and familiar, the lessons so relevant to my life (even though they are aimed at younger audiences), I have not regretted trading in binge watching Netflix for these. Although I have now broken the tape player and had to switch to CD's, I still prefer this over a television program these days.
- Loom Knitting: This is a craft I learned in sixth grade craft club, and one for which I earned second prize at the county fair. I haven't loom knitted since sixth grade, so I was afraid that it would be a bust. But, surprisingly, the skill came back to me with ease (now if only my dormant needle knitting skills would come back to me so easily). I even taught myself a new technique and finished a scarf within a few days. Crafting and creating are things I've wanted to get back to for ages but foolishly kept putting off in favor of watching Youtube or checking Twitter. I can't wait to conquer other crafts that I've always wanted to, like knitting a sweater and sewing a quilt.
I do want to say I didn't do all this time travelling just for the sake of nostalgia. For some time now, I have realized that my overuse and oftentimes abuse of technology was hurting my life. It wasn't until recently that I realized how much. My journey to childhood me was my way of returning to simpler times, to allow my mind to detox from all the tech entertainment it had consumed. And I can say without a shadow of a doubt that my strategy has enriched my life greatly. So much so that I have decided to give up entertainment technology for good, sort of. I still watched the new Gilmore Girls in November, and I have another favorite show of mine that I'd like to catch up on.
But this detox from technology has helped me realize my priorities. I was so addicted to technology that I couldn't do and create all the tings I wanted to do and create. I lived in a fantasy world to protect me from the stresses of everyday life. And now, as I fight my way out of that fantasy world, I write to you some simple advice from the journey back: don't be afraid to be a kid again. I don't care if someone tells you you're being immature or that you're afraid to grow up. Allow yourself to enjoy the simple pleasures of being a kid again. Childhood is the safest escape from adulthood that I know of, and I strongly recommend.
k, bye.
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