I have found life to be a roller coaster ride, of sorts. It has its ups and downs, its twists and turns, it definitely moves too fast, and the loops make for one wild adventure.

Sometimes I think that life would be better if you didn't have to grow. Growing causes so much pain, and not just physically. It's painful to become an adult, and have to deal with society's declared "adult" responsibilities and such. It takes away from the fun that could be had in iife. On the plus side, there are always mistakes to be made. I can honestly say that I have made many mistakes in life, and I hope to make more. Why would I want to do this? Why would I want to experience the pain and frustration that comes so often from the mistakes that I make? I'm not sure, exactly, but I do know one thing: I know I'm alive. I was not meant to be perfect, and I never will be. So what the heck, I may as well celebrate it.

Another thing about the beauty of not growing is that kids have so much fun. Everything is a game, and you can laugh at yourself without thinking twice. As adults, we all have a tendency to worry what others will think about us, and how we might screw up and look stupid. Kids, at least until later elementary school and middle school, just plain don't care. They know that the best thing you can do in life is not take life too seriously, and see the light side of everything that happens to you. I always try to remember that no matter how miserable I sometimes get, if I step back and look, I'll be able to find something that, while not necessarily funny at the time, I will be able to look back on it and laugh.

I have found that the simplest things in life are the most amusing, fascinating, and educational things. I still love to play and do as many carefree things as possible. So deep down, no matter how much I doubt myself and how much things sometimes bog me down, I know that I am still a kid at heart. And if I ever feel like life is too much, all I have to do is run to the park, where the swing sets will liberate me from the shackles of adulthood. To see them instantly puts my mind at ease, and to climb on and beat gravity is one of the most exhilirating feelings in the world.

Don't believe me? Try it. You'll be glad you did.