Growing Old

Childhood is a fantasy. It passes by with just the blink of an eye. It has no disappointments, the future or the past are irrelevant because the present is what counts. No big worries or fears take over life. Suddenly everything starts to fade and the worries you didn't think about before take over you, the fears you never imagined existed overcome you and the perfect life starts to fade to slowly to become a cage of bitterness.

Or at least that's what John Koethe thinks about life in his poem "The Perfect Life."

I must say I have to agree with Koethe. I can't talk much about growing old and my life "turning colorless and cold" but I can imagine. Until now my life has been pretty good so far. But I have to admit childhood, is in fact, all about happiness. I mean, sure, you have problems because you lost your favorite color or you fought with your friend, but those were the biggest issues that you had to deal with. Now everything is about standing out and getting somewhere.

Just take a look at where you are now, how did you get there? How many stages did you have to go through to be there? If you actually think about it, time does go really fast and you never get the hold of it.

I would have to say that in some way I relate to Koethe. The fear of not being anyone or doing anything in life closes the windows of my childhood and opens a dark door in which I don't want to go through. Because for me the harshest punishment is the feeling of in accomplishment when my life is ending; it is my biggest fear of all.