"A child's life is like a piece of paper on which every passerby leaves a mark." Old Chinese Proverb
What was it like to be a child? I played sports, read books with my dad, played board games with my parents, built forts, went on adventures in my backyard, played on a trampoline, camped in my front yard, climbed trees, went sledding, went ice skating, played house, played school, played scientist, played with barbie dolls, rode my bike, and wrote short stories. This is what I can remember doing a s a child.
As an adult some of these things have changed: I started speech and debate instead of sports, I read books by myself, still love play board games but have a hard time finding people to play with, don't build forts anymore, I still would jump on a trampoline if one was around, I camp in my parent's backyard when I visit with my boyfriend (he has allergies, and my parents have four pets), don't climb tress, haven't gone sledding for awhile still would though, don't go ice skating, playing house has turned into living on my own, playing school has turned into actually going to school, don't play scientist anymore, don't play with barbie dolls, still ride my bike, and still write stories but instead of using pictures I use words.
Did William Blake have insight into a child's psyche? Muses touch a child bestowing their gifts.
William Blake's Songs of Innocence begin with a poem "To the Muses"
Whether on Ida's shady brow,
Or in the chambers of the East,
The chambers of the sun, that now
From ancient melody have ceas'd;
Whether in Heav'n ye wander fair,
Or the green corners of the earth,
Or the blue regions of the air,
Where the melodious winds have birth;
Whether on crystal rocks ye rove,
Beneath the bosom of the sea
Wand'ring in many a coral grove,
Fair Nine, forsaking Poetry!
How have you left the ancient love
That bards of old enjoy'd in you!
The languid strings do scarcely move!
The sound is forc'd, the notes are few!
Did he see the way a child looks at the world? Taking in everything, asking questions about everything. Perhaps it was Blake exploring his childhood tapping into his own psyche.
I'm a firm believer of Tabula rasa. Tabula rasa is a theory that individuals are born without built-in mental content and that their knowledge comes from experience and perception. Children have that wide eye look because they don't have any information. Over time the muses bestow their gifts helping the children grow but once a child grows and gains experience they are no longer children. They no longer view the world innocently. I don't truly believe that though. I think that people still have a small bit of child left in them. It is that part of an adult that lets them have a collection of stuffed animals and cart a stuffed Tigger everywhere she goes, it is that part that allows an adult to use a lion king blanket, it is that part of an adult that enjoys watching kid, Disney movies, it is that part of an adult that allows a person to create a children's book. Like Jenny of the Falling Waters creating a fictional story introducing characters from the class. A world based in fiction. How many adventures did a child have sitting in an old card board box? It is Calvin's imagination that allows him to see Hobbes as a real tiger. The muses bestow their gifts on us as children hoping that we use those gifts and as children we do. But once we become adults we waste them. We become cynical, depressed, hurtful, jealous...All those emotions that as a child we truly didn't have and if we did it would pass soon there after. Forest Gump had it right that life is like a box of chocolates you never know what your going to get, what is going to happen. As adults we just need to view the world with wide eye and wonder. Experience the adventures you never had as an child.
I felt this poem would be a fitting way to view life as an adult.
“Dance as if no one were watching,
Sing as if no one were listening,
And live every day as if it were your last”
It is a person's bucket list. What do you want to do before you die? Live a life exploring you childhood, exploring the potential of the muses gifts. It is John Milton's Paradise Lost. He told people that the muses whispered him the story and he transcribed what he heard. Maybe Milton was exploring his childhood, delving into his psyche and finding this amazing story about heaven and hell.
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(Nick and the start of a s'more) 4th of July with the guys and the neighbor
