be your inner child

These days, children are expected to grow up more quickly than in the past. They are given rights and responsibilities at earlier ages, as well as more opportunities to become more like an adult- whether these are by choice or forced upon them. Being 'childish' is only really acceptable until a certain age, and that age seems to be getting lower.

'Being childish' is often used as an insult. It just shows that children are expected to act more like adults, and if they act like children, they are acting inappropriately. Surely children should be allowed to act like children. They will never learn from experiences to become better people if perfection is expected of them. 

Even though 'being childish' is often considered a bad thing, I think it's something that should be encouraged. Children have fewer worries about the world around them, and what people think of them. Too many people conform to what is expected of them because they fear being judged by other people. I've been thinking about this a lot recently, and I'm currently trying to convince myself that it's only me that cares if I look silly. Other people may see, they may laugh and they may comment, but they won't remember me or what I did in a weeks time. So why should I stop doing what I want? By doing exactly what I want and not worrying about what people think, I could actually be showing some people that it's okay to do what you want.

Today I released my inner child, and it felt amazing. I was walking home from college and it began to rain, lightly at first, but then it just got heavier and heavier. I walked with my hood up for a bit, trying to cover my body so I wouldn't get too wet, but I knew that I'd be soaked by the time I got home so I decided to just not care. I took off my jacket, put my phone in my bag so it wouldn't get wet and just kept on walking. That's when I saw the puddles. It's been years since I splashed around in puddles, but I did that today. I just walked through them, kicking up water with every step I took.

During my walk home, lots of people stared at me as they stood under whatever shelter they could find. I don't know whether they were judging me, but I don't care either way. I was having fun. I was happy. I wasn't going to let anyone's opinion of me stop me from doing what I was doing. 

When I got home I was completely soaked. My hair, my clothes, my shoes, my bag, they were all soaked. The feeling was amazing. I miss being able to just act like a child and not care about what anyone thinks. I didn't care that I was getting soaked by the rain. I just felt free, like nothing was holding me back. It's very rare for me to experience a sense of freedom like that, but now that I've experienced, I want to feel it again. One day I will.

Don't be afraid to release your inner child. It's okay to just have fun and be free. Don't let people's opinions stop you.