When we were little, everything made more sense. By that I mean, we knew what we wanted, we knew how we were going to change the world, and we knew that we weren’t going to let anything stand in our way. However, somewhere down the line, the little child that we used to look into the mirror and see, evolved into someone else. This new person had no interest in changing the world, because they believed that the world could not be changed. This new person only saw the bad out of life, and would crawl behind dark corners to get away from what was around them. This new person lied, stole, cheated, betrayed, and hurt those who they cared most about. The child had been removed, and in its place was someone older, someone who did let something stop them from achieving their dreams.

I think the hardest part about being a teenager, is finding out who you really are, and loving THAT person instead of what society loves. We focus so much on images, and impressing people and living up to the expectations of others, that somewhere along the line, we forget about that little kid that we once were. You know…..the one who believed anything was possible? Sure, when we were little kids, we had no clue about the real world. We were ignorant and carefree…..maybe even a bit naïve. However, our faith was strong, and our imaginations limitless. Back then, it was possible to be able to reach the clouds by jumping off swings, it was possible to be models on runways made of cardboard boxes, and it playing chef with plastic toys was as good as being on the Food Network. Back then, the world was painted for us in a variety of colors, everything shining, our eyes wide in wonder and awe. Now the world seems like it’s in black and white, our eyes bleak, the future being the same monotonous faraway thing that it’s always been. Our world has stopped being shiny, and we are no longer carefree. Our emotions are taken up and sucked in by those who surround us. We feed off of being happy by others. Sometimes we lie in bed all day waiting for the day to just pass us by, because getting out means having to face reality. Maybe we were stupid and naïve to believe that it was possible to be models on a runway. Maybe playing with fake toys was just a waste of time. And reaching the clouds? Ha….we could hardly get up from the ground now. When people look at us, they ask what has happened. Some us walk away defiant. Others just laugh and shake it off. Some even scoff that they would have the nerve to even question such a thing. After all, what do they mean by “what has happened?” We’re the same person they’ve always known……right? Those who are truthful will look that person in the eye and answer one word. “Life.”

For all you writers out there, did you know that every single person on this planet is a writer? We’re the only sole writers to the stories of our lives, and the good thing is that there’s no copyright involved. How we write the story is completely up to us. As teenagers, it is easy to lose one’s self to what society wants. Wearing a mask and hiding behind a curtain is easier than playing the main characters role in full force. However, there comes a time, when the mask needs to fall and the curtain needs to open wide up. The little kids who we once were still live inside us, they’ve just grown up a little. We keep this kid hidden, because we’re scared of what the world might think. There a saying that goes like this “For every ten thousand people that hate you, there would be ten million that love you…..for who you are.” During these teen years, as we all discover ourselves through the ups and downs of life, let’s take off the masks and really and truly discover the person who we are meant to be. Let’s all go back to believing that it is possible to reach the sky by jumping