Recently, I was reminded of what it means to be a child again. Well, of course, I am now a young adult. It's not good to be childish. However, life would feel a little more different, a little more soothing and interesting, if we were to allow the childlikeness within us to emerge. If we would only remember, that we were once a child. We were very happy with simple things. We knew easily what contentment was all about. It was through a couple of random images and observations recently that stirred within me this desire. First, it was my friend Shermaine's pictures of her eight month old baby in Singapore. I visit her blogs pretty often and often see cool images of her baby. What really makes it poignant is the smile of absolute contentment on her baby's face. He does not need to think about happiness, or how to be happy, but he just feels awesome. I supposed that's very natural of babies. As a person already in adulthood, I would yearn for that feeling of pure contentment. I don't know whether you would call it boring. I think in pure contentment, there is no feeling of boredom to disturb or distract us. I assume that there is a feeling of fascination instead?
Two weeks ago, I went to watch Polar Express in the IMax Theatre. It was about a boy who clung on to his belief in Santa Claus and eventually get to meet the latter. Though it's a predictable movie catered more for kids, it certainly encourages us to be childlike in our perceptions. Sometimes cynicism can prevent us from enjoying the things that can produce joy and beauty. In the movie, Santa Claus gave the boy a bell as a present. When the boy returned home, he showed it to his parents who didn't believe in Santa Claus. The bell didn't ring when his mother shook it. He said that as he grew older, many of his friends also could not hear the ring again. However, because he still believed, the bell continue to jingle for him. Well, i don't suppose i am telling myself or anyone to believe in Santa Claus. I am just saying that how much more we could see and feel, when we take away the cynicism that taints our perception of reality; the cynicism that hinders us from feeling the sense of wonder, joy, freedom and colors in this fleeting existence. Even though I am a young adult, it is really humbling to know how much i could really learn from children. Sometimes, they make me feel how much I have missed out in aspects of my life because of certain unnecessary cynicism that I refuse to let go of. I think that there is also a difference between naivety and childlikeness. I suppose life will gradually teach us the difference?