The Flora Factor: Take a break, relax and be a kid again

By the time this column comes out and this article is in public view for all to see, the next few years of my life will be set in stone. The girl in the photo above will be graduating from high school in but two short months, and then on her way to what she’s been imagining for the past decade: college life.

As with all high school seniors, I have been in a state of utter incredulity since last June when I realized that I would be in my final year of high school, moving onto bigger things.

If you saw me in my classes for the past few months, you may have seen me reminiscing about the good old days. During those lovely elementary school days, everyday was exciting. Hand soccer, wall ball, tag, homemade missions, gold rush videos and field trips to pumpkin patches will always conjure up nothing but pleasant thoughts.

I miss being a kid.

Life as a high school student isn’t easy, nor is it exciting. Week after week, we all go through the tedious routines of class, homework, test, and then right back onto class. The walks we take from class to class through the same exact hallways day after day bore us. Coming home from school, we go through more ordinary, usual, normal activities – we’re jaded.

Usually, I’d be the first one to tell my peers that they need to grow up, act mature and stop obsessing over insignificant issues such as the newest celebrity gossip. But sometimes, it’s good to be a kid a gain, no matter what age we are.

Children are free of worries and enjoy life to its fullest. Sunny days aren’t for studying, but a trip to the park. They don’t have to fret over essays and SATs, but delight in the simple pleasures of life, such as ice cream and a paint set.

Everyone needs, at one point or another, to act like a kid again.

For the over-worked, tired, mature teenager or adult – do something this weekend that you’ve always loved to do, but haven’t since you were young. Did you want to go rollerblading? Perhaps color a page from a coloring book or play a board game? Just do it.

Childhood may have only lasted for a short while, but don’t forget, it is also a mentality that can unleash us towards the future. Take, and enjoy.

Sharing the talent of our alumni, The Olympian presents classic stories from its archive, including this article first published on April 6, 2007.