Snippitts of Illusions

on the swingset

What i miss most about childhood, over anything else, is the uttersense of naive joy that I had many days.
Oh, I had my share of fear, and frustration as a kid, but typically these were over ultimately insignificant things: whether i'd be in a class with one of my friends, if I would get in trouble for breaking something ect.
Each day was playful, fun, and enjoyable. The anxieties aren't something that I typically went to bed with (unless it was about starting school the next day or some other such similar thing) and each mornings momentary feeling of dread would evaporate as I would shuffle into my class room.
Was this innocence?
Perhaps, or perhaps it was being able to feel joy without hindering it with other negative emotions.
I can still feel joy like that.
Occassionally something will happen, or I'll take in a moment and feel joy as I did in my youth.
Unadulterated, unguilty giddiness and happiness.
That's worth missing on a daily basis i think.
But it is something that we can seek out.
We only need to be open to it.
That's it.
And it's damned hard.
Opening ourselves up for joy is a difficult task, most people aren't up to the challenge. I know most days I'm not.
But when we are able to do it, and succeed at reaching that blissful state, the world is brighter and more beautiful than it ever was before.
Imagine waking up with that feeling everyday?
That would be trully great.
Sort of like being on a swing.
Just you, the pendelum motion, and the sky and the ground.
I could spend hours on the swing... I loved it.
I suppose I still would... but i'm too big for the damn things.
For those of you with kids; listen to them, more often than not they will want to share thier joy with you. Even if it's something silly (and kids are silly) take an interest and view it, you may find that little bit of joy you were looking for.

posted by F.G. Shaw @ 5:29 PM