The Growing Up Paradox
Happy New Year 2014 !!! We sure did welcome the new year with crackers,
sweets and lots of enthusiasm. We hope that we pick up good things from last
year, forget the bad ones and expect that THIS YEAR at last , we will complete
our previous left-up resolutions. We lose interest in some resolutions,
continue fighting for some and make some new ones every year. This year I have
also made a resolution: TO GROW UP.
"Growing Up" has always been a big thing for me. Elders seem to
like the idea very much. It comes in different forms, different times and
always has something new associated to it. It is some kind of hypothetical
ritual, that everyone is expected to perform so that they get equipped to deal
with the real world. If you dare not do it in parent’s eyes, every fault of
yours is linked to it. So you see, how important it is to grow up ( or at least
convince people so :) ). If only it was
a simple thing to do, we would have done it and not make a big deal out of it.
Growing up has different definitions associated to it. Acting maturely ( no
bachpaana ) , being responsible , becoming serious about things and realizing
bigger picture are some of it. Though I have mentioned only a couple, these
cover a lot of ground based on human behavior. The problem here is it
rationally opposes things we truly want to do ( on ground of growing up and
finally figuring out what life is ) and has the idea of always having less fun
than you want. I agree everyone has different perspective but again they can
state so on their own blog :P
Why is it that on mention of old friends all that we remember is the
useless things we do that make us laugh like anything? or why is it that
overachieving persons/scientists have childish traits ? Why is it that great
people end up saying that childhood as their best time or keeping the child in
you is the most important thing?
To quote a few
Every child is an artist. The problem is staying one when you grow up. --
Picasso
Grown-ups are complicated creatures, full of quirks and secrets. -- Roald
Dahl
The most difficult thing about being an adult is to act like one. --
Anonymous
Lahanpan dega deva ( Maybe God give me childhood ) -- Sant Tukaram
My favorite one is one particular strip of Calvin and Hobbes.
( To Calvin, Hobbes is a live anthropomorphic tiger; all the other
characters see him as an inanimate stuffed toy.)
I think you can see my confusion now.
This is what I like to call "The Growing Up Paradox".
