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Letting go of childhood

TickTock

Mud and rain and chaos...
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Do you think you have or are you still living with a firm grasp on it? I don't think either is good or bad, there are pros and cons to both.
 

Thalassa

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I'm one of those people who believe in the power of remembering childhood and ones earlier selves. I am comforted by things which remind me of my very early childhood. I also think it's important to stay in touch with your child self, too, for sanity and happiness, so you don't get too caught up in the bullshit of being an adult.

Of course I say this after going through a short period where I made a firm break from childhood for several years. I think that letting go is necessary to an extent -- I mean, I think you do have to grow up. It's like you have to break away, and then you can come back and reconnect with it as an adult to be more balanced, in my opinion.
 

Mole

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Do you think you have or are you still living with a firm grasp on it? I don't think either is good or bad, there are pros and cons to both.

Of course it is necessary to let go of childhood to take up one's rights and responsibilities.

And the only thing nicer than childhood is our second childhood, where not only can we enjoy the delights of childhood once again but we can do so with all the rights and responsibilites of maturity.

In other words in our second childhood we can have our cake and eat it too.
 
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Phantonym

Guest
I've never made any conscious effort to either have a hold of or let go of my childhood. The transition just happened, naturally and painlessly. I was mature for my age when I was a child and a teenager anyway.

My childhood seems like a blur now, I never really remember that many details about anything but I mainly have a positive feeling about it. However, I believe I do have a realistic idea of it, and not some suppressed delusion.
 

Athenian200

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I still act pretty much the same way I did as a child.

The thing is, I behaved very much like an adult even as a child. There's not much there to let go of. I was never really a child. About the only childish thing I've held onto is video games, and considering how few kids like to play RPGs, that's debatable.

The only direction I could go in to let go of who I was as a child, would be to behave more childishly now, because I always fought so hard to seem mature and intelligent.
 
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Phantonym

Guest
The only direction I could go in to let go of who I was as a child, would be to behave more childishly now, because I always fought so hard to seem mature and intelligent.

:rofl1: Exactly! I can relate. No, wait, I'm doing it. Well, online at least.
 

nolla

Senor Membrane
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May 22, 2008
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The thing is, I behaved very much like an adult even as a child. There's not much there to let go of. I was never really a child. About the only childish thing I've held onto is video games, and considering how few kids like to play RPGs, that's debatable.

You stole this from my diary.

I am so much more a child now.
 

proximo

New member
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Nov 4, 2009
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Same here. Never had a childhood as such, and what things I did that were "child-like" I still do: video games, cartoons, skateboarding... though there are plenty of those things actually aimed at adults these days anyway. The actual mentality of childhood, I don't recall ever having to the same degree as other kids my age, or as my own kids do.
 

Little Linguist

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Do you think you have or are you still living with a firm grasp on it? I don't think either is good or bad, there are pros and cons to both.

Dude, you're going to laugh, but do you know what I did? I'm teaching English to reallyyyyyyy little kids (18 months to 6-years-old) and I got collections of LITTLE GOLDEN BOOKS OMGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!! And Dr. Seuss books!!!!!!!!!!!! It's like holy crap, so cool! I remember reading these books, and I just have to smile, thinking back on some of the very few positive aspects of my childhood, which was getting read stories (and reading them) at night. :D
 

Zoom

Self sustaining supernova
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I certainly have maintained my childlike wonder at the world and fascinating things, and my optimism (now tempered and strengthened by reality).

For some reason it seems like some consider putting aside dignity and being silly - or showing real, true excitement at something is childish. I still climb trees, daydream, and my favourite: I never get bored.

I think part of true maturity in adulthood is letting go of the image of what one must act like to be considered one. Like Lewis said, "When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up."
 
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