What do I miss?
I miss the simplicity of innocence.
When I was a little girl, life was simpler. There was no ambiguity. It was easy to tell right from wrong, good from bad.
As I’m writing this blog post, I’m reminded of a song by Billy Joel called “Shades of Grey.” In this song, Mr. Joel sings, “Some things were perfectly clear, seen with the vision of youth. No doubts and nothing to fear, I claimed the corner on truth.”
If there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that the more I learn, the less I know. The clarity of vision I had as a child is gone. Nothing is black or white anymore. Shades of gray are all around. These days, it’s difficult to find absolute certainty in what you’d like to believe is true. The truth gets edited, tweaked, and spin doctored.
In my beloved fairytales and innocuous Hallmark movies, there is never any doubt about who the good guys are. There might be a struggle, but the good guys always win. Right triumphs over wrong. I’m drawn to fiction, in print and on the screen, that isn’t too real because, for a moment, life is simple again.
I appreciate the moments of simplicity brought to me by fictional tales. Life is a series of moments. I think it’s important to try to remember to make the most of them on a conscious level. Otherwise, to paraphrase another famous singer, your life will happen to you while you’re busy making other plans.
