by Kelsey Mckernan

Created on: December 09, 2008

Childhood. So many pictures flood through my mind when I hear or say that word. Make believe is one of the strongest images that shows through. When I was little, my sister and I played make-believe all day for hours upon end. We just had fun pretending we were at different places and were completely different people. We dreamt of becoming princesses in far away castles, or that we were culinary chefs cooking up feasts in our fisher price kitchen. We made up funny stories and got lost in them or we'd pretend we were Olympic gymnasts doing flips on the swing set. No matter what we were doing, we always made it fun.

I think one of the greatest things about being a kid was the freedom you had. Having no cares, concerns, or worries. You're main goal for the day was waking up and deciding what game to play or which swing to swing on in the warm summer breeze. I look back on my childhood now with such nostalgia. Longing to be back in a world where money didn't matter, where you weren't judged on the clothes you wore or the car you drove, but instead the fun toys you brought to the playground or the crayons you chose to color your my little pony in a coloring book. Childhood screams complete and utter carelessness in the most wonderful possible way. It defined who we were to become as adults. It creates a sense of balance in the chaotic world we face today. Childhood makes you believe that anything is possible.

One of my fondest memories as a child, was when I was playing make-beleive with my sister in our basement. She would always pretend to be the dainty little princess with her extravegant afghan dresses and oversized high heels. I on the other hand always wanted to play the bad girl or the ninja turtle. I'd tie towels around my head and belts around my waste. I was always fake fighting stuffed animals or my sister when she'd let me! I remember dreaming to be a ninja like all the people I saw on tv. I remember thinking to myself, one day I am going to be like Michaelangelo, donatello, Leonardo, and Raphael. Eventually I did. When I turned 14 years old I received my black belt in Tae-kwon-do. I worked 6 long years on getting that belt. When I finally did, my mind flashed back to those carefree days in my basement when I dreamt of becoming a true ninja. The day I got my black belt, I realized my dream had come true, and it was all thanks to my childhood dream of being like my favorite cartoons. From that day on I realized anything was possible and my dreams were never that far away.

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