Swings and Slides

Every day, every passing second – we grow older. The minutes count up, and yet we often seem to be counting down; towards the next holiday, the next event, the beginning of school. Then again, I suppose, whether we count up or we count down leads everyone to the end of their paths. Another chapter has ended; another just about to begin.

As we grow older, we acquire things. We want to acquire. Acquire knowledge, make new friends, learn skills, make money, develop a career, find love. In this aspect, we always count up – we aim higher and higher, acquire more and more.

But do we lose?

Recently in driver's ed, there was one thing that the instructor said that inspired me in class to make a note to write this note. Talking about pedestrians, he urged us to be extra careful when children are nearby. "Watch for children. Children are least predictable." Makes sense.

But why? Why are children so unpredictable? Weren't those the good times…
"The World's a playground. You know that when you are a kid, but somewhere along the way everyone forgets it." – Allison, in Yes Man

Somewhere along the way, in all our dreams of acquiring – we have lost something. Have we lost a spark, a passion? Have we thrown out our childhood vision when we tossed away our childhood glasses? (well, depending on your eyesight back then =P)

Or have we acquired too many new things that tie us down. New responsibilities. New doubts. New fears. To the extent that even the strongest hurricane can't lift us off the ground, preventing us from taking off into skies like the kids we were at some points in our lives, when the slightest breeze launched us into new discoveries. Soaring like an eagle in a playground. Our playground.

However, many of us just get used to living life on the ground. I suppose it's not that bad anyways. But some lucky ones have managed to let go of some of our acquired ballast, and lift themselves up with ten thousand helium balloons – filled with the life that was in the air so many years ago. And another chapter begins.