by Deborah Allan

Created on: November 08, 2009

It's funny how we used to wish our time away when we were kids, wishing we were older, and more grown up. As I get older, I find myself looking back more and more, and thinking about my childhood, and the older I get, the more I miss it.

I remember how free I was, both financially and with regards to responsibility. When I was a child, the only thing I can remember worrying about was getting my homework done so I could go play with my friends. I didn't have to worry about bills, or late fees, or how I was getting to work in the morning, and the list goes on and on.

As a child, I would dream of growing up and having a wonderful job making lots of money, living in a big, beautiful mansion, married to a male model and having 3 beautiful kids, and the whole world was perfect. In reality, I live in a three bedroom apartment with my boyfriend and his dad, I have a pretty decent job, making pretty decent money, no kids, no car, no mansion, etc, and the list goes on and on.

The other thing I really miss about being a kid is being carefree. We didn't care about what brand name our clothes were, we didn't care who had the best cell phone or computer. All we really cared about was whose hill were were going tobogganing on, or where we would meet up to go biking. We only really had one responsibility, and that was to make sure our home work was done and passed in, and to do well in school. Other than a few household chores, we had it made.

I miss school, I miss my old friends, I miss thinking it was cool to stay up late. I miss sleepovers, and school trips. Now, and I know I am not alone on this, I am lucky to get to bed at a decent hour, because I have to stay up to finish the laundry, or get the check book balanced. I really wish I knew then what I know now.

I would have taken life a little more seriously if I knew what being an adult was really about. I would have done better in school, to try to get a better education for a better job. I would have kept in touch with my old friends, and I would have been more careful with my money. I started working every summer from the time I was 13 and I would have saved it or invested it, so that I would have something to fall back on.

I only hope that by remembering how wonderful my childhood was, when I have children of my own, I can help them prepare for their future, by letting them know how it was when I was little, and what life is like now.

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