Neverland

There is no fairy dust or magic trick to the thing they call growing up

Growing up is something we can't ever run away from. There is no Neverland, no special dust, no magic trick to make us stop. We grow up. People, at first, call us "Little baby", "Look at that kid" and next thing you know they're calling us "What a man", and "She's such a beautiful young woman." I have had misgivings of growing up, being a girl myself. I often have memories of when we all were in kindergarten, first, and second grade. Nothing mattered but who got the biggest cookie. I remember when Joseph and the other boys would chase the girls and try to kiss them, succeeding once or twice, just wanting to see the girls scream and run again so they could continue their little game. But now I see Joseph and the other boys playing touch football with the girls behind the building. So many things change so, so, fast it hurts. Life seems to wiz by and all you get is a simple glance at your own life now and again. People say don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened. I think "It’s okay to cry sometimes." Like when you are not a child anymore, but a young adult fighting to make it to the top. You're past the stage of learning to read, and into the higher area of reading Shakespeare, something you dreamed of at four, but now dread more than anything. Many good things come out of growing up. Like more fun times ahead of you. More people to love. More things to do. Watching other people grow up. People say you out grow many things along the way. Many say they are too old for such things and cannot do them anymore. But my mother once said, when she saw me playing with Barbie and ken in my room, playing with my dolls, which I still do sometimes, to hold onto things as long as you can. No need to grow up so fast, as people expect. People think that when you turn a certain age, things get tougher and they need to be tougher. They sometimes need to be, for sure. But people usually make things tougher for themselves. I make things tougher for myself, no way out of that. But I hang onto things until they wriggle out of my long fingers. Until they're so old, so babyish, it seems dumb I ever kept them in the first place. But I still kept them. Growing up is a pain. Growing up seems wrong sometimes. Growing up is hard. But growing up is something that brings good things too. Like watching other people grow after you and with you. Everything seemed so simple then. Now it seems harder. But growing up is one of the best things you can do.

Author's Note

Please excuse any grammer problems. I am still learning English, although I am fluent.

Reviews

[Vesa Lee]

So true and sincere. I especially like how you compared this kissy games of Kindergarten (I actually smiled and nodded my head when I read that part) to the more dangerous games of Highschool that teenagers can't seem to get enough of.
It is sad.
It's horrible.
I miss my ever waning youth every day, and I'm not yet twenty.
But you must grow up, and your piece speaks of this hard transition in a very real way.
Thanks so much for sharing and sorry I took up so much room! *smile*

[~*~Peace Keeper~*~]

Wow...this was wonderful..a great job..it is true we cant stop growing up...but we can make it not come so fast...im still a kid in heart..but sometimes its best to act like adult..there is always a time for something though
Great Job :)