Sweet Wonders of Youth
Childhood nostalgia from the ’80s
Do you experience nostalgia for your childhood? What exactly are we pining for? Maybe we miss having limited responsibilities and wish we could bring back loved ones who’ve passed on.
We miss the freedom to play while using imaginations that stream wild with the possible. We could be who we wanted, now and for days to come. We became one with fictional characters in the luscious land of pretend. Make-believe flowed from our minds and bodies, a natural state of being.
Instructions: Enter an imaginary world and become whatever you wish! Share your desires with the universe; it’s yours to be had. The future gleams ahead of you, a sparkly path. Plenty of time to achieve what’s desired.
“I’m gonna be a singer!”
“I wanna be an actress!”
“I’m gonna be an astronaut!”
“I want to be a mommy when I grow up.”
There are declarations of becoming the president and professions society relies upon. Career decisions were years away, but we mentioned them anyway.
Our optimism was ever high. We didn’t think about what we could or couldn’t do. Because we can have it all! Easy peasy, just grow up and get it. Adults may say it doesn’t always work that way. But, they probably did it wrong or gave up.
See, we can save the world and solve all problems. Issues grownups don’t know how to fix. But, we have answers — yes — we know-how! Simple solutions are often overlooked. As children, our brains were free from the complexities of adulthood.
Most parents and grandparents were open to the dreams we shared. Captivated by the years ahead.
I won’t pretend childhood equaled ease and perfection, but stressors (depending on upbringing and environment) were different.
And there were bullies who thrived off stolen joy, plus other sour kids. Our first experiences with rejection created and fed inner wounds. Unlike a scraped knee that heals.
Childhood is a lengthy adventure, then you’re pushed through puberty which quickens the clock. Year after year transformed…
