Childish vs Child-like
At various points in my life, by various people - I have been called childish. I can see where this comes from - I am 44 years old and autistic, and I still enjoy a lot of things that are considered childish things. I color and paint. I like stickers. I enjoy blowing bubbles off my balcony or while on a walk on a windy day. I enjoy putting things together and taking them apart. I love learning about the world, and will often read schoolbooks or watch videos to educate myself on a subject I don't know enough about. Because I am dyscalcic, I even work through children's math workbooks to help things like times tables and math formulas stick in my head. I play games involving cute little animals on my kindle. I sleep with a stuffed animal named Mr. Fluffy. I talk to my cats in cat language, and sing silly songs to them in my language.
These are all things, as a grownup, I should likely be over doing. Most grownups would not sit happily for an hour putting stickers of cats into a sticker book, looking at the color variations between breeds and enjoying the smooth texture of the stickers and the way they feel in my hands. This is how I relax, however. Simple soothing activities like this clear my head.
I have no interest in a lot of things adults seem to hold as exciting. I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't care about which actor or royal person is doing what to whomever for how many dollars. I only want enough money to be able to live comfortably and afford things like my therapy and decent food and a car that runs. I don't want to go to a club, or a vacation resort, or a luxury spa.
I still get overwhelmingly happy when I see a flower blooming. In fact I am likely to point and exclaim "Oh, look how pretty!" to anyone I am with. Yesterday I saw a family of Canada geese including fuzzy gray little goslings and thought about them for the rest of the day, looking up what they like to eat and what their migratory patterns are and what areas of the US they are found in.
Other childlike qualities I have include a desire to share. If I have something, I want my friends to enjoy it with me. What can be more fun than playing a game together, or going for a walk together, or if you have read and learned something - passing it on for others to enjoy and read?
At times I may have a childlike joy in life, and I may enjoy simple things that many adults have outgrown or never paid much attention to. But I don't think that makes me childish. To me, childish is causing drama and reveling in the drama around you. It is not caring about the world around yourself, or the feelings of others. It is living a selfish life that is only concerned with having more, bigger, better, faster and consuming without thought of why/how/or how much will be left for future generations. And I think too many so-called adults are in that perpetually childish state, with nothing much to show for it than a pile of meaningless stuff.
These are all things, as a grownup, I should likely be over doing. Most grownups would not sit happily for an hour putting stickers of cats into a sticker book, looking at the color variations between breeds and enjoying the smooth texture of the stickers and the way they feel in my hands. This is how I relax, however. Simple soothing activities like this clear my head.
I have no interest in a lot of things adults seem to hold as exciting. I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't care about which actor or royal person is doing what to whomever for how many dollars. I only want enough money to be able to live comfortably and afford things like my therapy and decent food and a car that runs. I don't want to go to a club, or a vacation resort, or a luxury spa.
I still get overwhelmingly happy when I see a flower blooming. In fact I am likely to point and exclaim "Oh, look how pretty!" to anyone I am with. Yesterday I saw a family of Canada geese including fuzzy gray little goslings and thought about them for the rest of the day, looking up what they like to eat and what their migratory patterns are and what areas of the US they are found in.
Other childlike qualities I have include a desire to share. If I have something, I want my friends to enjoy it with me. What can be more fun than playing a game together, or going for a walk together, or if you have read and learned something - passing it on for others to enjoy and read?
At times I may have a childlike joy in life, and I may enjoy simple things that many adults have outgrown or never paid much attention to. But I don't think that makes me childish. To me, childish is causing drama and reveling in the drama around you. It is not caring about the world around yourself, or the feelings of others. It is living a selfish life that is only concerned with having more, bigger, better, faster and consuming without thought of why/how/or how much will be left for future generations. And I think too many so-called adults are in that perpetually childish state, with nothing much to show for it than a pile of meaningless stuff.