I Refuse to Grow Up

I remember when I was just a boy, my mom would tell me “You’ve got it pretty good, Brian. I would love to go back to being a kid again.” I think every adult I knew while growing up told me that at least one time.

As a young child, I always wanted to hang out with the older people and do all those cool grown up things. Throughout my teen years I wanted my freedom and independence, and I really looked forward to getting out on my own. Every time I fought for this, I was told to enjoy being a kid because being a kid is pretty easy and that all changes when you get older.

Everyone was right. I got my wish and now here I am as an adult still finishing up taxes in September! Way to go, Brian. I should have been more careful about the things I wished for because real life as an adult is very busy, especially as a parent. Life can be challenging in a good way, but there are also aspects I dread and have to do anyway.

“I’ve got news for you, life isn’t fair.” That was the other warning I received as a child, many times of course. Life wasn’t fair back then and it isn’t fair now. Things don’t always go our way, but that’s the way it is. However, we can choose to turn negatives into positives and come out stronger as a result. Life can be a battle, but that is how we learn to fight back.

When life’s challenges are really bogging us down, it can drag our positive spirit down. Harsh realities can really strip away our ambitions in life, and although we may feel like hiding under a rock at times, we need to “stay in the game”. We can’t avoid doing things just because it is more challenging with kids and the responsibilities of real life. Surviving day-to-day life may seem like that is all we are able to do, but we must continue to grow personally.

I am pretty sure we only live once, so we need to make the most of it. Even with our crazy lives, there are moments when we can act like kids again. I think we need to remember that and embrace those opportunities. We can enjoy sports with or without our children. There are times when we need to goof around and be silly. Laughing and having fun helps us remember that it is ok to have some downtime and just forget about being responsible for a moment.

Although we cannot literally go backward in time to be a kid again, we still need to encourage our kids to enjoy their childhood. It is too easy to drag them down with us when we succumb to challenges and take life too seriously.

I am occasionally told that I make parenting look easy. Ha, ya right. I suppose having three children and not freaking out 100% of the time really impresses some people. I feel like a mess most of the time so I either have people fooled or my life is not as bad as I think.

By Brian Wilson

Brian is the father of three children. He teaches golf and coordinates a Zurich Dads group in his spare time. email: bwilsoniag@gmail.com

Illustration by Laura Munteanu

Laura has studied Journalism and Advertising, and has been working as a journalist and an illustrator. She has been illustrating for magazines, websites, charity and diverse campaigns. She lives in Zurich with her husband and seven-year-old daughter.