If I asked you what the most elusive thing was, how would you respond? Would you say something about honor and chivalry? The perfect pair of jeans? Would you respond with a serious answer about true happiness and contentment? Elusive things are so darn hard to come by. They are so desirable and we want them oh so badly, but really... what are we going to do about it?
Elusive things are often the things that you can't fully understand until you have mostly lost them. Things that are sometimes easy to recognize, and other times, not so much. The most elusive thing I can think of, is precious to very few. It is looked down upon by the majority of modern society. It is seen as a disadvantage to have this elusive trait. It is seen as a enabler to the excuse prone and as a sign of weakness.
Very few things (if any) are as frowned upon as, wait for it....
INNOCENCE!
In one of my favorite plays a rather pretentious but possibly very right, character says "Innocence is like a delicate flower, touch it, and the bloom is gone." When I first heard this quote, I just laughed. It seemed foolish and overly dramatic. However, it is possible that even the craziest of characters has a point. Innocence is fragile. It doesn't last long once exposed. It has to be carefully tended and protected.
Innocence scares people. It reminds them of where they've come from and shows them how far they've gone. I think to some extent we all recognize that innocence is delicate. We are careful with what we say around kids, we are aware of what we say around young people. If we have a religious friend, we are less likely to swear or use sexual innuendos in their presence. We are aware that they represent purity and innocence and it reminds us of our own lack thereof. It's intimidating and fragile. Innocence scares people.
Why is innocence so frowned upon? Why is innocence seen as a sign of immaturity and even as harmful? Why does society think poorly of the innocent?
I love children. I think that I often learn more from children than I do from adults. Thanks to the contributions of children, I now know how to clean up drinkable yogurt that's been mixed with applesauce and paint (I am a stain treating master) and I have perfected my game of go fish. Along with my amazing life skills which are sure to come in handy some day, I have learned about the gift of observation. I have always loved people watching. People aggravate me to no end a fair amount of the time, but they do make wonderful subjects of observation. Adults are fine enough, but kids are especially fascinating and educational. I love their brutally honest assessment of life and people. I love how their innocence brightly shines and how it always ends up rubbing off on me. I love how they can see the world as pure and unadulterated. I love how they are able to see love, trust, honesty, honor, and pride as the pure emotions they were meant to be and not as the empty meaningless words they've become.
Innocence. The most delicate of blooms, the most forbidden fruit, the most precious thing that no one appreciates. The trait that sets children apart, and the lens through which only the gifted get to look. I think I am going to do my very best to be as "gifted" as possible. If it means I get to look through the blessed lens, so be it! Innocent maturity. It's a goal.
Elusive things are often the things that you can't fully understand until you have mostly lost them. Things that are sometimes easy to recognize, and other times, not so much. The most elusive thing I can think of, is precious to very few. It is looked down upon by the majority of modern society. It is seen as a disadvantage to have this elusive trait. It is seen as a enabler to the excuse prone and as a sign of weakness.
Very few things (if any) are as frowned upon as, wait for it....
INNOCENCE!
In one of my favorite plays a rather pretentious but possibly very right, character says "Innocence is like a delicate flower, touch it, and the bloom is gone." When I first heard this quote, I just laughed. It seemed foolish and overly dramatic. However, it is possible that even the craziest of characters has a point. Innocence is fragile. It doesn't last long once exposed. It has to be carefully tended and protected.
Innocence scares people. It reminds them of where they've come from and shows them how far they've gone. I think to some extent we all recognize that innocence is delicate. We are careful with what we say around kids, we are aware of what we say around young people. If we have a religious friend, we are less likely to swear or use sexual innuendos in their presence. We are aware that they represent purity and innocence and it reminds us of our own lack thereof. It's intimidating and fragile. Innocence scares people.
Why is innocence so frowned upon? Why is innocence seen as a sign of immaturity and even as harmful? Why does society think poorly of the innocent?
I love children. I think that I often learn more from children than I do from adults. Thanks to the contributions of children, I now know how to clean up drinkable yogurt that's been mixed with applesauce and paint (I am a stain treating master) and I have perfected my game of go fish. Along with my amazing life skills which are sure to come in handy some day, I have learned about the gift of observation. I have always loved people watching. People aggravate me to no end a fair amount of the time, but they do make wonderful subjects of observation. Adults are fine enough, but kids are especially fascinating and educational. I love their brutally honest assessment of life and people. I love how their innocence brightly shines and how it always ends up rubbing off on me. I love how they can see the world as pure and unadulterated. I love how they are able to see love, trust, honesty, honor, and pride as the pure emotions they were meant to be and not as the empty meaningless words they've become.
Innocence. The most delicate of blooms, the most forbidden fruit, the most precious thing that no one appreciates. The trait that sets children apart, and the lens through which only the gifted get to look. I think I am going to do my very best to be as "gifted" as possible. If it means I get to look through the blessed lens, so be it! Innocent maturity. It's a goal.
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