Growing Up

I like cartoons. Recently I was told to grow up for watching cartoons. Now it happened over the internet so I don't rather care much what that person thinks, but it got ME thinking about what is growing up and what is maturity. I remembered an essay by one of my favorite authors, C.S. Lewis called "On Three Ways of Writing For Children" Amazing essay by the way. He talks about three ways to write a children's book. One is to write what the child wants. He goes on to say all the reasons that he believes that this is wrong. The third way is that he writes what he enjoys in life. He writes a story that he enjoys and coincidentally kids like it too. In The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, he has Lucy eating some nice treats at the hands of the faun Mr. Tumnus. A man once said to him, ah I see, because it's a children's book you put in food to appeal to the children whereas if you were writing an adult book you would have put in sex. C.S. Lewis states in the essay that, that simply isn't true and that the reason he put the food in there is because it is something he would quite enjoy.


So where is this going? Ah, so in the time of C.S. Lewis fantasy novels and fairy tales were childs' tales. Not something for adults right? We're grown up after all, right? I'll now summarize in my own words, his response.


What is growth? Growth is the act of adding to something. A snowball increases in size as it rolls down a hill, a tree adds rings to its trunk as it grows outwards. Growth is the act of addition. Maturity is the act of enriching. Much like the parable of the talents, the mature man adds talents to his collection. Now lets apply this new idea to growing up. As a child I hated certain foods with a passion such as beets, onions, meat ,except for hamburger (not just the sandwich but the meat) and hot dogs, spinach etc. As I "grew" older, I started to like onions and spinach. I soon like steak and fish. It took awhile for me to like chicken as well. Now that I am grown I like these foods but does this mean that I have stopped loving the foods I loved as a child? Do I now despise watermelon because I have "grown" up? Do I now despise pasta or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? No, but I have added to my tastes new tastes.


As a child I enjoyed many books such as Choo Choo the Runaway Engine, or Fishing for Oil, or The Dumb Bunnies. All books meant for little children. As I matured, I started to like bigger books like The Hardy Boys, or Goosebumps. Then as a young teen I started to read Redwall, Harry Potter, and other such novels. Now as an adult I enjoy more classic stories and tales that I couldn't and never would have as a child. Does this mean that I no longer enjoy to read Choo Choo? Do I now despise Mr. Rogers because I'm old. No, I still love the things of my childhood. I still enjoy a good story no matter where it is.


It is my firm belief that someone who lets go of these things and calls them childish has lost one of the most precious things in his life. Childhood is a beautiful time in a person's life where everything is new, wonderful, and awe-inspiring. The woods are magical. The floor in you house is lava. To let go of your childhood and then despise it is to turn your back on innocence and love. It is much like a tree that as it grows, the inner rings rot out and leave the tree an empty shell that at the end of all things is only good the be thrust into the fire.


I will gladly and proudly wear my love of all things, "childish," as a badge of honor upon my breast and challenge anyone to mock me for it. For I will not be dissuaded from my course. 3 Nephi 11:37-38, "37 And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and become as a little child, and be baptized in my name, or ye can in nowise receive these things. 37 And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and become as a little child, and be baptized in my name, or ye can in nowise receive these things.

For those who wish to read this essay it can be read at this link.  Don't worry, it should have the whole thing there.