As with all notable ideas, this struck me as I stood under a cold shower, trying desperately not to process the uncomfortable aspect of a cold shower, something whose necessity far exceeds its enjoyableness.
Adulthood
As we get older, we are subjected to a plethora of evolutionary processes, big and small, from a break in vocal chords, facial hair, and bodily adjustments at the hip for purposes of child birth and so on. When we reflect on our earlier selves, childhood, adolescence and earlier youth, it is not uncommon to discover among those ashes, a fiery, almost naive belief in the infinite advantages the universe will proffer on our aspirations; whether material, spiritual inter alia. It is (this belief) absolute, unfailing, motivating. I now recall a famous and oft referenced exhortation that encourages us to grasp beyond our reach. This refrain emboldens our efforts and hardens our hearts through creating a perpetual and inestimable wind beneath our wings; enabling us to go forth and conquer, our ability less than our capacity to achieve our objectives notwithstanding. I grant you, there is immense difficulty in translating the somewhat arrogant optimism of youth into your adult life. That is one part of the evolutionary process that is not automatic and rather paradoxically, is effortful and therefore necessary if not vital.
There is no telling the extent to which the boulevard of broken dreams is bustling with energy and the generally accepted justification for its robustness being ‘growing up’. Adulthood gets a bad rap on this account. It has been used as a license to discard the valor of our earlier lives which navigated and interacted with the world in a fashion that wasn’t merely hopeful in character but resolute in its form. I have nary met an adult who hasn’t blamed adulthood for stealing one thing or the other from them.
Fear
As an infant, like many others, I was deeply afraid of the dark. This was rational in my assessment considering I hadn’t spent enough time on earth to vouch for the absence of light under any circumstances. I remember vividly, the only brightness I could conjure when the lights went out was that I would grow up and I would not be afraid of anything; anymore. I straddled this attitude through those dark years and imagine my chagrin, discovering that adults have more to fear than children. But fear need not be paralyzing because properly harnessed, it can imply salvation. We should learn to fear the notion that there can be a context in which there is no fear.
Hope
Knowing what I know now, I see no urgent need for the readjustment of our aspirations to qualify our adulthood. I have not come to appreciate any rationale for dispelling our childish optimism. In the conduct of our evolutionary concern from children to young adults to senior citizens, we must purpose to carry the revolutionary zeal of childhood; apply it to our marriages, our vocations, and most importantly, ourselves.
