THE ISLAND OF ADULTHOOD

Now a castaway on the island of adulthood, ever less sure of rescue, I’m hoping for a few precious moments to regain youthful bliss.

I believe in bliss. However, it has become foreign to me. In our youth something is taken away – our priceless individuality – that part of us which makes us unique and differentiates us from the others. We reluctantly accept maturity and responsibility. We "grow up," and sometimes lose ourselves in the process. Some people are never conscious of what they have lost, but the sense that there is something not quite right remains. We feel the sense of something that is missing.


A part of me asks, "Why are you leaving the comfort of home, friends and family to go out into the unknown alone? Aren’t you afraid?"


I respond, "I have accepted fear as a part of life - especially the fear of change. I will go ahead despite the pounding in my heart that says: turn back."

 Another part of me asks, "Why do you have to leave to find what you are looking for?"


I respond, "It isn't about finding oneself by leaving, it's about finding oneself by living. Let me tell you why we’re leaving. We’re leaving because we know something. What we know we can’t explain. It is something we feel. We’ve felt it our whole life. It’s like there’s something just not right with the world we are living in, that there is something we have lost and must find. We don’t know what it is, but it’s there, like a splinter in our mind, driving us mad. It is this feeling that is calling out to us and will take us away. Do you know what I’m talking about?"


 Some of us do and some don’t.


Leaving is hard. It can be a big sacrifice. I think we always have to leave something behind to recapture our youthful bliss. Perhaps if we start listening to our inner voice, then decide what is really important, and what needs to be left behind we might regain the true treasure. I’ll try not to be afraid to "grow down" if I feel like I've grown up too much.

What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from. I will not cease my search and exploration due to fear. However, I may, at the end of my search, arrive where I started and know the place for the first time. And that may not be so bad.

I’m hoping that my road experiences to come are too fantastic not to tell. In my search I’ll keep in mind that the road I may fear to travel could lead to the treasure that I seek.

Come to the edge!
We can't... we'll fall.
Come to the edge!
We can't... we're afraid.
Come to the edge!
They went...
she pushed them...
and they flew!

See ya... further down the road.