A Little Wisdom from the 'Hood

My desk calendar this year is "The World According to Mr. Rogers." I have such good memories of ole' Mr. Rogers. I learned how colors were made, how to reconcile differences with friends, and that make-believe is just a trolley ride away. Even now, if I am flipping through the channels and come across a re-run of the show, I will usually stop and watch for a moment as I reminisce about those much simpler days. I have also seen a PBS special on Fred Rogers himself and I must say that viewing that biography only made me respect him more. Anyway, back to the calendar. I just thought I'd share with you the thought for this past weekend. Ole' Fred gets a little pensive, but it's a quote that makes a lot of sense as I contemplate being a "grown-up."

"All through our lives there are resignations of wishes. As children, once we learn to walk, we must resign ourselves to not being a baby anymore."

I don't know why but the simple truth of that quote really hit me the first time I read it. I was just having a conversation with a friend about that subject this weekend. I think that often, those things we struggle with the most in life are those ideals that we've grown past, but refuse to give up--those pie-in-the-sky dreams of fairy-tale lives and happily-ever-after endings. I am struggling to express myself adequately because I am trying to mind that fine line between realism and cynicism. I think it's important to have dreams--no matter what your age--but at the same time, some of the wisdom that we gain as we grow older must filter those dreams, so as to remind us of what is attainable and what is just fantasy. But I have always been a realist on a good days and a pessimist on my bad ones, so take what I'm saying with a grain of salt. It's just something to think about. Feel free to comment, if you'd like.