Ongrowing - Remaining Youthful

What does being young actually mean

Ongrowing’s February 20th letter | Previous issue: Hidden agendas

Hi friends!

This week, I went to a nearby beach town about 2.5 hours away from Bangkok for a staycation. It was raining almost every day, and we pretty much stayed in for the entire period of time we were there. It was… perfect. I didn’t know how much I just needed a change of scenery, although, I came down with a pretty bad headache after a day packed full of meetings. A reminder to me and you: don’t overschedule or overcommit. Work does not define our worth.

Credits to Atmos

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Today’s Story

Recently, I have had two opportunities to work with young adults on exciting topics of self-discovery and mental health. I was feeling inspired by their energy and enthusiasm. Maybe it was their naivety or receptiveness to ideas and thoughts. Maybe it was their curiosity and playfulness. Maybe it was how they engaged and cheered for each other with zero hesitation.

I wondered what it means to be young and youthful.

While we use age as a metric to measure how young or old one is, I question if that’s what really defines youth.

What if youth is a mindset? A way of thinking? A way of living?

Flashback to 2020, in the middle of the pandemic surge, I was visiting a friend in Los Angeles and, on the way there, myself and a couple of friends decided to stop by the Channel Islands, which is known for being the destination for whale watching. Although we were not enthusiastic about getting up at 5am to hop on the ferry, the possibility of seeing whales and dolphins was worth it. Because it was during the pandemic, people kept seats open and were socially distanced from each other. I couldn’t help but notice the family seating opposite of us. Two couples and four children. That was going to be a party.

As the engine revved and the ferry got along its course, everyone’s eyes were peeled to the ocean. No one wanted to miss the sight of a humpback whale. The tour guide did warn us that we’re not guaranteed to see these creatures; they operate on their own will, nobody knows what they’re up to and when they might show up. That made it all even more exciting.

The waves of the Pacific Ocean (Channel Islands)

Time went by but there was no whale or dolphin in sight. I was pretty sure that we’d go back home without seeing them. I started to close my eyes and dream… until the kids started yelling.

“Oh my goodness, do you see that!!! I think that’s a whale!!!”

“Where?! Let me see it! Let me see it!”

“Me too, me too!”

They jumped up and down, ran across the deck, and tugged on their parents arms. The older boy was shouting to his dad, while the little one was asking his mom to lift him up for a better view. I quickly rose up and walked across to the bow to get a better view. There they were! A school of whales and dolphins swimming in the pristine blue waters. It wasn’t just two or three of them. There were so many we couldn’t keep track of. The sight was magical and breath-taking.

My awe expired as soon as the whales and dolphins left. I walked back to my seat and was disappointed by how my camera wasn’t able to capture the beauty of the scenes we just witnessed. On the contrary, the children sitting opposite of me were still running around, dazzled by the ocean and the prospect of seeing other creatures. They were smiling, laughing and shouting at each other, discussing and listing out all the marine species they know. Their energy was contagious, and I stop myself from letting out a big smile. I thought to myself, “how lovely it is to be that young and full of life.”

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The Writing Prompt

At your current age, do you consider yourself young or old? Whichever option you choose, why do you think that? In what ways does being young or old limit you? What does youth mean to you and can you incorporate the mindset of youth in your life?

Children never fail to inspire me. Their curiosity and enthusiasm for life always light something up in me. A lot of times, we, as a society, look down on children and young adults. We see them as naive and incompetent people. We don’t think they have the experience we do, and so, dismiss them and their opinions. But actually, we can learn so much from these young children and young adults. Because they are still new to the norms and rules of the world, they have the creativity to think, play, and roam free. They experience awe and joy with ease because they don’t carry the burden of responsibilities and expectations that we impose on ourselves. They are excited by the smallest of things because they always see things fresh and new.

I hope this reminds you that we’re all capable of all the above if we just allow our inner children/younger selves to play and have fun.

With love,

Fair