Growing Up

Growing up isn't as simple as some people make it out to be; it isn't as easy as going from young to old or from old to older. It just isn't like that.

Growing up isn't always a constant, steady motion. Some of us never grow up. Some of us stop growing up in the middle of it all. Some of us grow up, but then go back in time, wishing we had those carefree, youthful, childhood days back.

The days where the sun seemed to glow with more optimism. The days where evil was just a word, and betrayal was only heard about in movies or books. Some people long to go back to the days that blended with the nights which blended with the mornings, a seemingly never-ending, constant day. Nothing started, nothing ended; like energy, it remained constant.

Some people �" most people �" give in. Most people decide it's time. Most people feel that they need to. Most people grow up. They become miserable, they hate themselves, and they give life to children who will, most likely, follow in their depressing footsteps.

I admire most those who stop growing or decide that growing up just isn't for them. For me, I agree. Growing up is for the rich and the powerful and the money-hungry. Growing up is for those who lack fun and creativity.

Growing up means forgetting and I've always had a sharp memory.

Maybe if life were lived backwards, it'd be a more beautiful story. Think about it.

You start off this old, hurt, miserable creature. You ache, you're alone, and you can't do anything for yourself. But as time goes on, you start to feel better, you gain more people in your life, and you can begin to do things for yourself. You become better looking. Those wrinkles in your face begin to become filled in, like sand filling an hourglass, and you become more attractive. The sagging skin becomes tighter, which would only make you feel good about yourself. You can begin working and start saving for your teenage years, which most agree are the best years of your life. You can spend your ending years of life in school, learning, which is one of the best ways to spend time: learning to merely gain knowledge, not to advance in a cruel world.

Lastly, you would start to shrink, become even more youthful, until one day, you harmlessly vanish. You would be taken care of by your family members and you would not feel pain. You wouldn't need an awesome retirement plan or an expensive funeral. You could vanish and become one with the planet, thanking it for letting you live a nice life.

Think about it. It'd be great, really.

That's not how life works, though.

We grow up, we grow old, we grow miserable.

I'm protesting this. I don't want to grow up, so I won't.

I can't grow up.

I refuse to grow up.

I don't want to grow up.

So I won't.