Don't forget to play.

Recently I heard tragic news about a boy I knew when I was younger. He was in a car accident and passed away. He was only 20 and it breaks my heart to think how young he was and how much life he had left to live. It made me stop and think abut my own life, my own dreams and ambitions. I said in my earlier post that I love the New Year because it makes me feel like I can do just about anything I dreamed of. Mix that in with the terrible news and I just can't stop thinking about how short life is and how we have to go out and live it.
This winter I have a break from school and I had it all planned out to make money and do things I needed to do. Those plans have fallen through and I'm left having no idea what I'm going to be doing for the next 3 months. You know what though? I love it. I love not knowing what is going to come next, who I will meet and how much they'll change my life, if I'll be working and where and not knowing what could happen day to day. I love not knowing, it makes me feel...free in a way. It makes me feel like I could almost do anything. Will I go out and change the world? Probably not. Will I go out and become rich and famous? Definitely not...but I wouldn't mind. But there's other things that can happen that are just as great.
I don't want to waste my life focusing so much on things that aren't important. People put way too much focus and effort into things that don't and shouldn't matter. People stress too many things that are just pointless in the grand scheme of things...relationship drama (especially when it isn't even your own), designer clothes, cars, rumors, friendship drama, money...it all seems so important. I know you need money to do just about anything in this world. I understand, I'm not naive. But when I told a friend of mine that I didn't know my plan for the next 3 months or if I'd find a place to work, he said "so you're just going to play?" He said it in a way that was negative, as if that was a bad thing, to play. He thinks much differently than I do and I respect that but when did the world forget that playing is good? When did everyone forget that the world is our playground? I look at the children today and see them wanting so badly to grow up and be adults and it breaks my heart. I wish I could go back to being a kid where you're allowed to play outside for hours with your friends. You make lemonade stands, not to make money, but because it's fun. You don't care if you get your clothes or hands dirty, as long as you had fun. The world is growing up too fast.
Each of us has a life that needs to be lived while we still can. It's a shame that people die so young, so full of life left un-lived. If I do anything with my life, I want to make sure I lived it. I don't care if I'm unsuccessful and poor in the world's eyes. If I live my life and play on the world's playground, I'll be successful, rich and happy in my eyes. That's what truly matters. Life is so short. Don't take anything for granted and don't wish it would go faster. Enjoy the time of your life you are in, whether as a child, college student, parent or grandparent, don't forget to play.