What Happened to the Good Old Times
The Good Old Days
Do you ever find yourself longing for the “good old days”? I’m only 19, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss the simplicity and carefreeness of childhood.
Remember running around the neighborhood with your best friends until the streetlights came on? Riding bikes to the park and staying there all afternoon, only leaving when someone’s mom would call saying it was time for dinner?
When did days filled with imagination, sunshine, and skinned knees turn into days filled with obligations, responsibilities, and worries about the future?
Somewhere along the way, life starts feeling more serious and less fun. Instead of playing pretend, you’re suddenly expected to figure out real life. The weight of growing up settles on your shoulders.
You start asking yourself questions like:
- What do I want to study in university?
- What career path should I pursue?
- Where do I want to live?
- Who do I want to become?
The options seem endless and overwhelming. The carefree kid is gone, replaced by an anxious young adult just hoping to make the right choices.
Now as a university student, I look back on childhood as such a sweet time of innocence. Don’t get me wrong, I’m thankful for the opportunities ahead of me. But I do think we lose something special as we grow older.
A sense of wonder. Curiosity. Slowing down to observe the small joys life offers, like sunlight filtering through the trees or ripples on a pond. As our worlds expand, days fill up, and responsibilities pile on, it’s easy to speed through life without stopping to appreciate it.
Do you ever wish you could go back? I certainly do, more often than I’d like to admit. Back to playdates and recess, thunderstorms and snow days, mysteries and dreams not yet clouded by reality.
But maybe the good old days aren’t as far away as they seem. While we can’t turn back time, we can carry the best parts with us. My hope is to walk through life with childlike awe, discover new adventures, nurture lasting friendships, and seek out simple pleasures along the way.
Who’s to say you can’t have recess without the playground? Make time for what feeds your spirit. Have dance parties in your room, picnic lunches outside, or movie nights full of popcorn and pajamas. Schedule play into your busy calendar. It’s allowed at any age!
And while responsibilities are now ours to shoulder, maybe it’s time we also cut ourselves a little slack. As kids, the big decisions and heavy lifting fell on the grown-ups. But now that *we’re* the grown-ups, why are we putting so much pressure on ourselves to get everything right? No one expects perfection — so be kind to yourself. You’re doing the best you can with what you have, just like the rest of us.
Though years pass by in the blink of an eye, the wide-eyed kid lives on inside you. Tap into that part of yourself — the part that is creative and curious and believes anything is possible. Let your inner child whisper dreams, point out rainbows, splash in puddles. You just might find the good old days are not left in the past — maybe they have been here all along, beckoning your younger self to play.
Well friends, I would love to hear — do you also miss the simpler times of childhood? What are your favorite memories? And what can we do to infuse more childlike joy into our grown-up lives? I look forward to reading your reflections!
