Change

Spending time with children can bring out many different kinds of emotions in people. Many find themselves in awe of their innocence, imagination, positive thinking, and magical view of the world. For children, everything is fresh and new. People are good. The world is enormous, and full of endless possibilities. There's magic everywhere. There are some poor unfortunate youngsters who will never know the meaning of the word "magic," but as for the children who are blessed to have good parents and homes, that sense of magic makes the world a wonderful and safe haven. So why does it have to disappear?

Children inevitably grow up into adults and see the world for what it really is. Imagination starts to disintegrate into gray areas of fog. Colors don't seem as bright. Awe and fascination dwindle down into numbed awareness. Nothing seems new, but rather apocalyptic. We no longer look for shapes in the clouds, run after blowing bubbles, dance freely without self-consciousness, trust others so openly, or revel in the delight of jumping through rain puddles. We change. We grow up, and our childhood dies.
Arguably, it is necessary to change to survive in this world. We must recognize the dangers of other people, wildlife, the environment, etc. We cannot go around trusting every person we meet on the street, nor can we walk up to a grizzly bear and expect to give the "teddy" a hug. That "teddy" won't be very cuddly.  It is sad, regardless, how we all shift away from the little beings we started out to be. 

One of the most frustrating lines conceived by adults has to be the sentiment, "Don't ever change." It was a line I read continuously on swapped senior pictures and in year books throughout high school. Back then, I knew such a thing was not possible, and the line both frightened and frustrated me. I knew my classmates would change, with me right along with them. For some, the change can be good. The snotty, stuck-up brats sometimes go to college and see they're not the most important people in the world anymore, and it brings them down a notch or two. They may realize they were wrong to be such jerks in high school. Some jocks, who were everything in high school, become nobodys and drift silently away into isolation, while the ones who struggled become rich and successful. There are those who become bitter with disappointment, finding themselves unable to succeed at what they want most; others who spiral downwards or upwards, and those who remain stuck in some void of indecision and fear of the unknown; those who turn to alcoholism and drug addiction; those who get married and have children of their own; those who take their own lives; those who are killed in some freak accident, by illness, or by someone's hand; those who will be betrayed, those who will betray; those who will lose loved ones; those who will go on to do great things; and those who will be left behind. 

It can be difficult to see a friend or family member change dramatically, especially if that change is negative. It can leave you baffled and at a complete loss as to what to do. Sometimes, no matter what you choose to do, it won't matter and won't make a bit of difference. That person has changed into someone you cannot follow, and sometimes the only thing you can do is to let that person go. You've got to keep your own head above the frigid water threatening to overwhelm and drown you. Otherwise, you're treading water, and eventually you're going to get tired, especially if that person you're fighting to let go...is you.