The beauty of childhood is about living carefree. No worries, no regrets. Life moved at its own pace. Dancing in the rain, playing pranks, listening to moonlight stories, attending birthday and Christmas parties would always be evergreen childhood memories.Then, there was so much eagerness to grow up. I could not wait to who I wanted to be.
Life was to follow a straight line- go to school, get good grades, gain admission to university, finish well, get a superb job, get married and build a family. That was the goal. It seemed so far away, yet so near.
One day I slept and woke up and found I was now an adult. The rules of the games changed. I had to be responsible for myself. All that I did with my time mattered a lot. It was now intentional living. No one to decide for me anymore. There was money to be made and there were bills to be paid. The tables had turned. I had to be responsible for someone else. My decisions and lifestyle now affected those under my care.
Adulthood isn’t a hurtful thing. One can draw from childhood and adolescence memories to maximise this phase. By the way, learning does not have to end with adulthood, in fact it is a lifelong process.
I would not want to hide under the guise of childhood to run away from responsibilities. Adulthood is what you make of it. Besides Winston Churchill said “The price of greatness is in responsibility”. I could not agree more.
Written by Patricia Uyeh