I am still captivated by Disney movies. Even though I’ve grown to be slightly disillusioned by certain parts of life, I will never become so jaded as to not appreciate a fairy tale.
I was lucky enough to have an extremely positive childhood, and to know what it is like to feel hope and wonderment in a world full of possibilities. It is interesting how life experiences try to take that away from us as we age. I think, with a strong foundation, the daily grind can never destroy that feeling of magic as a child, but I do feel it can be somewhat of a challenge to go through the labyrinth of daily life and try to seek out what was so familiar years ago.
Seeing the magic of life as an adult- grown-up fairytales, is rare, but I don’t think it has to be. We need to start making time, no matter how difficult it seems, to find the enchantment in the world. Stop, take a step back, and look around. There are amazing things happening all around us that we neglect to see because we’re moving so fast.
I learned a lot from just putting the camera down on our trip to South Africa. Not looking through the lens when an African elephant came right up to our vehicle and was inches away from my face. Not taking a photo at that instant, but looking at this amazing animal and the detail of it’s face. No picture could possibly capture what I saw in person and that experience would not translate well on to film. It was a adventure you had to live, and I think those truly are the most magical moments in our lives.
This trip I also saw my first firefly. Being able to drive through the bush in the middle of the night was an entirely different experience than during the day. It was as if the forest was bewitched and really came alive. I saw a spot of glowing green, and then more and more. Soon a pride of lions awoke from their 20 hour nap and decided to come down to a watering hole. In complete darkness we had lions stroking against our car like a house cat does to her master’s legs. In moments like these, you feel alive and the line between what you’ve been taught is make-believe and real is blurred.
Find these moments in life. If you haven’t recently had the feeling of childhood excitement, like you did when you were a child watching a Disney movie, Saturday morning cartoons, a swim in the summertime at dusk, a camping trip, or any other feeling of ambition or exhilaration your childhood years gave you, then it has been too long. Don’t wait, because those feelings get lost in the repetitive nature of our culture and it isn’t fair to you to lose that part of who you are- who we all are.
You are worthy of being who you were as a child.
“So, like a forgotten fire, a childhood can always flare up again within us.”
~Gaston Bachelard
Thank you Lion Sands and DSA Vacations
for helping us remember our child-like spirits.
