Childhood Innocence

A collage poem showing the change from childhood wonder and general care-free lifestyle, represented by playing in the summer, to adult life and the stress of the workplace.

Childhood Innocence

Long days passed so quickly

Summer time was always the best time

Laughing and playing

Secret paths in the park

A new one every day

Not yet explored

So we went

We hiked

We swam

We ran

Go, go, go

All day long

 

Looking down, it was a hundred-foot drop

I stood on the edge carefully

The wind blew towards me

Keeping me on the cliff

The waterfall thundered down

Crashing loudly into the river below

What a beautiful sight

It was enough

To make all the bad thoughts disappear

And just feel happy for a while

 

For workers everywhere, the troubled economy may feel like an emotional roller coaster. "Layoffs" and "budget cuts" have become buzz words in the workplace, and the result is increased fear, uncertainty, and higher levels of stress.

 

We played in the pool

We ran in the fields

Summer breezes hardly enough

To cool you off

The hot summer sun

Turned our faces pink

As our feet kicked up sand

On the beach

 

Giant trees provided a nice cooling shade

Over the whole forest

We walked and walked and walked

Stopping occasionally to look

And admire the splendor of the nature around us

Greens, browns, the occasional reds

Earthy colors setting a calming mood

 

Many living with high stress are at a tipping point, faced with potential physical and emotional-health challenges if they are not able to get the support they need to manage their stress well. If untreated, consistently high stress could become a chronic condition, which can result in serious health problems including anxiety, insomnia, muscle pain, high blood pressure and a weakened immune system. Research shows that stress can even contribute to the development of major illnesses, such as heart disease, depression and obesity, or exacerbate existing illnesses.