The Age of Innocence

When I was a kid, I had an imaginary friend. "Stardust" was a beautiful white horse that possessed the persona of a wise old man. Stardust and I would go on adventures together in the empty field across from my childhood house and we would find many wondorous things. For example, one time we found an array of bones, (not sure what animal they were from) but we pretended that the the dirt field was an ancient Indian burial ground and that we had discovered the bones of the chief, therefore they were magical and gave us super powers. I was given the power of great knowledge and Stardust was given the power of speed. Together, we were a mighty force. In addition to being my superhero sidekick, Stardust was my mentor and friend. I would tell him my worries and fears and share with him my joys. He was always there. When I finally grew up, (and I mean finally :p) I left Stardust behind and became consumed in "real life". When I couldn't see Stardust anymore, I knew I had finally grown up. Or did I?
When do we "lose" our imagination? Do society and experiences that force us to grow up play a part in removing that filter from our minds and hearts? I think of childhood innocence as a filter because it only allows us to see what we want to see. When you're a kid, all you want to see is happiness and joy, therefore, you see life through your imagination. Even if you have lived through horrendus experiences at a young age, you escape through your imagination. It allows you to live in a state of happiness. One may say it is a state of ignorance, but nonetheless, a child is protected within his or her imagination.
So how do we get our innocence back? Some may say it is impossible. However, I've found that I relive my childhood when I spend time with imaginative children. This helps me recover some of my innocence as I listen to their made-up stories and remember the tales I created in my own mind as a child. Another way is to go to a beautiful place (such as a mountain top) and dream. This restores some of my childhood wonderment and reminds me to regard everything beautiful with awe. So you see, all is not lost when it comes to imagination. Your mind can still paint beautiful pictures if you give it a paintbrush. You may not have all the paint you had as a child, but you can still paint a picture. Don't get so caught up in the seriousness of this life. I'm going to end this thing with a song by Kenny Loggins. It reminds me of my childhood.

Christopher Robin and I walked along
Under branches lit up by the moon
Posing our questions to Owl and Eeyore
As our days disappeared all too soon
But I've wandered much further today than I should
And I can't seem to find my way back to the Wood

So help me if you can
I've got to get back
To the House at Pooh Corner by one
You'd be surprised
There's so much to be done
Count all the bees in the hive
Chase all the clouds from the sky
Back to the days of Christopher Robin and Pooh

Winnie the Pooh doesn't know what to do
Got a honey jar stuck on his nose
He came to me asking help and advice
From here no one knows where he goes
So I sent him to ask of the Owl if he's there
How to loosen a jar from the nose of a bear

Help me if you can
I've got to get back
To the House at Pooh Corner by one
You'd be surprised
There's so much to be done
Count all the bees in the hive
Chase all the clouds from the sky
Back to the days of Christopher Robin and Pooh

It's hard to explain how a few precious things
Seem to follow throughout all our lives
After all's said and done I was watching my son
Sleeping there with my bear by his side
So I tucked him in, I kissed him and as I was going
I swear that the old bear whispered "Boy welcome home"

Believe me if you can
I've finally come back
To the House at Pooh Corner by one
What do you know
There's so much to be done
Count all the bees in the hive
Chase all the clouds from the sky
Back to the days of Christopher Robin
Back to the ways of Christopher Robin
Back to the days of Pooh