Life Cycles

Little kids have it easy. They wear cute little clothes and, for the most part, the people around little kids like what little kids do.

When does that stop? With me it was around five feet. Then again, it took less than a year to get to 5’6” from there. It could be an age thing, I have no idea. Somewhen everything went from “Oh how precious!” to “So?” and stayed there to the present day. This is normal, we all went through it, and few of us would go back willingly.

But (of course there’s a “but”) there are days when we want that gold star, that brownie point, that cookie for having been particularly clever. We want our anxieties to take center stage, and we want someone in Authority to reassure us. Reassurance doesn’t happen often in adult life. Society isn’t structured for that sort of thing. Instead, we have consensus. We poll our circle and collect aye votes for whatever we did, or want to do.

In the long run, I think we’re better off. As I reconnect with people from the past, I relive those days. When I talk about my past with my current circle, it causes them to relive theirs. This is an uncomfortable process. We have plenty to deal with now, and better ways to spend leftover time.

It’s almost enough to make me wish I still had my red Snoopy sleeping bag to crawl into, or at least a sugar cookie with sprinkles.