The older I get the more I realize growing up is a myth. We get older and more responsible, we learn new conditioning and explore the findings of new found awareness and opportunity. We grow in resilience and understanding, and we may get wrinkled and grey, but the idea of growing up, It's not us but only our actions that change. The moment we lose our inner child is the moment we've become disconnected with who we are and our ability to simply grow.
I suppose the distinction really lies between growing up and growing out. We need not grow out of our true self to simply grow up, for growing up is an illusion. I have seen this demonstrated best when I heard author, Sherman Alexie, speak. He was able to be the most immature yet wisest man in a packed room of about 2,000 people. So distinctly, that it was one of the first questions someone in the audience asked- "how can you be so wisely well spoken while simultaneously acting like a 5 year old?"
"FAAAART" noise, I think was the first thing that came out of Sherman's mouth. Then he got quiet for a minute and thought, and he said, "I think I'm the same age now as any age I have ever been."
