Don't Grow up!

I am at a centre where this sign is on the noticeboard. Don't grow up - its a trap. I imagine many of us can smile, recognise that our adult life hasn't been all we hoped for and that work, duty, mortgages etc have restricted us. Many will have felt trapped at some point. However, for people with bad childhoods, growing up was the escape. Perhaps it ended in moving out of the frying pan in to the fire! There are quite a lot of people I meet who are trapped in a child-like way of seeing the world. They can be quite happy there but are often frustrating for those who are around them. They can also be rather powerless; unless using charm. Jung talked of the puer (or puella) aeternus the eternal child. Such people can have a lot of spontaneity and simple joy and that is worth a lot in a world that is often short on this and has become dull and grey.

However, spontaneity and being like a child do not allow for some of the important processes of life which can require delayed gratification. It isn't always a lot of fun being a parent and children need parents who are adults; even though it is important that they can also play and let go .We cannot abandon our inner child (or children) but they cannot run the person. The person requires personal growth and development.. This is the Soul's journey of individuation.  Being trapped in the nursery stops all of that.

When my son had major surgery, I was very thankful that the surgeon in charge, had certainly spent many thousands of hours studying and practicing to get to the top of his profession. When I fly I really don't want too much of a party happening on the flight deck!