Days spent fishing, riding bikes, exploring nearby forests, building forts, jumping off quarry cliff faces, shooting guns, camping, bonfires, outdoor projector movie nights, fireworks, snow-day snowboarding, hockey games on frozen lakes, going to school on snowmobiles, ding-dong-ditch the physics teacher and day dreaming of everything and nothing while finishing my paper route. Growing up was THE BEST. Every word listed above REALLY can describe my childhood. Listing it like that sounds like the makings of a Sandlot wanna-be movie pitch. And it’s easy to sigh and say, “Those were the glory days.” I can’t speak for everyone but I would assume most can look back at their childhood and say something similar. Young, wild and free. It’s funny; when growing up, you’re so ready to be a grown up. And it takes forever! And then when you’re grown up, your left with the question, “What happened!?”
There’s this scene in Hook where Wendy Lady looks at Robin Williams and says, “So Peter you became a Pirate… Have you forgotten who you are?” Isn’t that life? The grown up world has this thing where it slowly strips you of your need for adventure and fun. It’s easy to get caught up in to-dos and task lists and paying bills and other things grown ups get caught up in. Seriously, you can come up with a HUGE boring list!
Hook – 1991
The spark for adventure can be so easily stifled when you forget to enjoy life. Going back to Hook, after Tinker-bell kidnaps Robin Williams and brings him to the Lost Boys in Never land, the Lost Boys are trying to figure out if he’s Peter Pan or not. Most of them don’t see it, except for one. One of the boys grabs Robin’s face and says, “Oh there you are Peter.” What’s awesome about that statement is that the kid sees The Adventure was still in him! He just forgot who he was. That’s so common today. At least it is for me. This life was made to be enjoyed. No where was it written that it was suppose to be easy but MEANT to be good. “I have come to give life and life to the fullest.” Jesus said that. It’s true! Being married and having a dog and paying rent and being grown up doesn’t have to be boring! And it’s not about going back and being childish either. It’s about being Childlike. Living without fear, nothing holding us back, with our head in the clouds but our feet on the ground, enjoying every aspect of our one and only life! Have fun with your job. Challenge yourself. Push the limits of your creativity. Do something that matters. LOVE every minute of it! #dowhatyoulove