An Escapade Through Time

          If you have the power to go back and forth to a certain point in time in your life, when will it be and why? Would you wish to return to the time when you were still a little kid or would you wish to visit and have a look on what the future has in store for you? It’s a pointless query, yes, for even with the technological advancements we have achieved today, there is still no present proof that time travel is possible but perhaps this is just one of the most intrepid questions we’ve all asked ourselves even for once. For this is one thing that is so certain, we have all experienced to let ourselves be carried away with our own mind’s fantasies.

          Childhood, in its very own essence, plays a very important role to a man’s life. Each and everyone of us, regardless of social status, race and religious system we belong to, have all experienced and came to know what it’s like to be a child. It’s just one of the few similarities that mankind have towards each other which gives us this familiar feeling of being adventurous and brave enough to face such uncertainties in life. Childhood is that time when courage is overflowing within us that makes us live carelessly without carrying the burden of having to worry about what tomorrow could bring. It’s that particular time when we were first taught some of the most valuable lessons in life which helped us to become more aware and knowledgeable about the world around us; a time when we were still being led by the guidance of our parents. It’s that time when we first met friends that made us realize that we are not alone; a time when we were so young, so innocent, yet so full of glee.

          However, looking back, we are not that naïve to be aware that there is nothing else that is constant in this world except for change. We all know that somehow, we will eventually grow up and deal with things the way adults do. And it is just quite interesting to think that all of us have no power to escape the on-going cycle of life- the fact that we will soon develop to become grown-ups who are expected to be responsible enough to face the consequences of their own decisions and actions. But even upon knowing that, every child still holds anticipation whenever he/she thinks of the concept of growing up. And as a person who is just one year away from the official period of adulthood, it often makes me wonder why.

          What is there in adulthood that makes children want so bad to grow up quickly? It often makes me wonder why- why do these children that is considered the most special out of all God’s precious creations wish that they have a time machine that can take them somewhere in the future? It often makes me wonder why- why do I get jealous of these children who worry about nothing else but to wish they could be in the exact position where I am currently standing? It’s just a few months away and I will soon become an adult but still, I do not feel any excitement. It seems like I was undergoing an endless journey looking for answers which are out of reach. I spent years falling into reverie wherein I always end up coming back to face reality without a single grip to my fantasies. Never did I know that for just a single moment, by merely observing, I would get my answers.

          I obtained the answers behind my questions when I saw those lovely and childish expressions these children show upon their faces. I finally knew why when I got to see the innocent and inquisitive mien they have. I found out why I was jealous by the time I witnessed the way these children show appreciation even at the most insignificant things. And I get to realized, it is perhaps the beautiful memories of my childhood that keeps me wanting to go back to that time. But as soon as I realized these things, I do not feel jealousy anymore. Instead, there is laughter and happiness shown at the corner of my lips and a hopeful look that is visible in my eyes- something that wasn’t there before. At last, I have learned that being a child means so much more than the firsts and the happy memories since the most prominent part of childhood and the thing that makes it memorable to everybody is how it shaped us and brought us to whatever situation we might be standing today.

          So today, at this point in time, I am more than grateful for all the things I have experienced in the past and even for those things that the uncertain future could bring-whether good or bad, for I know all of those will be helpful in developing me as a person. I will never wander anymore nor have another escapade through time for I have returned with a plan- to explore the things that I have yet to see and go beyond the limits of my mortality.