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it’sabouttimesomebodyexplodedthathoaryoldmythaboutchildhoodbeingthehappiestperiodofyourlife.childhoodmaycertainlybefairlyhappy,butitsgreatestmomentscan’tparewiththesheerjoyofbeinganadult.whoeveraskedasix-year-oldforanopinion?childrendon’thaveopinions,oriftheydo,nobodynotices.adultschoosetheclothestheirchildrenwillwear,thebookstheywillreadandthefriendstheywillplaywith.motherandfatherarekindlybutabsolutedictators.thisisanadultworldandthoughchildrenmaybedeeplyloved,theyhavetobemanipulatedsoasnottointerferetooseriouslywiththelivesoftheireldersandbetters.theessentialdifferencebetweenmanhoodandchildhoodisthesameasthedifferencebetweenindependenceandsubjection.
forallthenostalgicremarksyouhear,whichadultwouldhonestlychangeplaceswithachild?thinkoftheyearsatschool:theyearsspentlivinginconstantfearofexaminationsandschoolreports.everymovementyoumake,everythoughtyouthinkisobservedbysomecriticaladultwhomaydrawunflatteringconclusionsaboutyourcharacter.thinkofthecurfews,themartiallaw,thetimesyouhadtogotobedearly,doasyouweretold,eatdisgustingstuffthatwassupposedtobegoodforyou.rememberhow‘gentle’pressurewasappliedwithremarkslike‘ifyoudon’tdoasisay,i’ll…’andadirewarningwouldfollow.evenso,theseareonlypartofchild’stroubles.nomatterhowkindandlovingadultsmaybe,childrenoftensufferfromterrible,illogicalfearswhicharetheresultofignoranceandaninabilitytounderstandtheworldaroundthem.nothingcanequaltheabjectfearachildmayfeelinthedark,theabsolutehorrorofchildishnightmares.adultscansharetheirfearswithotheradults;childreninvariablyfacetheirfearsalone.butthemostpainfulpartofchildhoodistheperiodwhenyoubegintoemergefromit:adolescence.teenagersmayrebelviolentlyagainstparentalauthority,butthiscausesthemgreatunhappiness.thereisapletelackofself-confidenceduringthistime.adolescentsareover-consciousoftheirappearanceandtheimpressiontheymakeonothers.theyfeelshy,awkwardandclumsy.feelingareintenseandheartseasilybroken.teenagersexperiencemomentsoftremendouselationorblackdespair.andthroughthisturmoil,adultsseemtobemorehostilethanever.
whatareliefitistogrowup.suddenlyyouregainyourbalance;theworldopensupbeforeyou.youarefreetochoose;youhaveyourownplacetoliveinandyourownmoneytospend.youdonothavetoseekconstantapprovalforeverythingyoudo.youarenolongerteased,punishedorridiculedbyheartlessadultsbecauseyoufailedtoeuptosometheoreticalstandard.andifonoasionyouareteased,youknowhowtodealwithit.youcansimplytellotheradultstogotohell:youareoneyourself.