Friday, December 28, 2007

Thoughts.

Children generally come into this world full of good will, innocence, happiness, trust, and faith. Adults are lightened by the presence of children - their overwhelming joy makes us recall what it's like to feel that way. As children grow, they slowly become jaded, bitter, trustless and faithless - most of the time, especially in America.

Why do we call this the process of growing up?

Why does becoming an adult mean that we must lose all inherent joy and faith that we were born with? What is it that makes it perfectly acceptable - and encouraged, even - to destroy the trust that we have in our fellow human beings? If we did not encourage this in our children, if we did not crush their hopes and their belief that they could be anything, imagine what this world could be.

We purposely take perfect creatures that truly believe that they can accomplish the world and demand that they limit themselves. We impose restrictions upon their psyches - you can't be an astronaut. You couldn't be the president. That's a nice dream, hon, but why don't you go to school for something realistic? Why don't you try for something that will pay you enough?

Why do we do this to ourselves and our children? I know that the reality of this world is one that is harsh and demanding, but teaching children that they cannot accomplish all that they believe they can is simply dooming them to repeat our mistakes: trusting no one, believing nothing, and hating ourselves without knowing why.

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