As a child, I was a goofball. Does that surprise anyone? I hated smiling in pictures (unless I was striking a pose), I typically had my tongue sticking out, and my parents could never calm me down. If you look at my old report cards and check out the comment section, you can read notes from my teachers. Every teacher said the same thing, “Kristin is very talkative and needs to work on her classroom behavior.” My friends who are teachers (18 years later) laugh when they hear that. They know exactly the kid I was because they deal with them on a daily basis. I respect any teacher that has to deal with a child like I was/am.
I miss the days when I didn’t care what others thought of me. Today, I have to be sure my social media is free of anything that could hinder my credibility as a professional, I can’t run up and down the halls of work singing Backstreet Boys (without getting looks), and I certainly cannot be the disruptive kid in class (sometimes). Even though I have to suppress my desire to blurt out something goofy, pick my nose in a “professional” photo, or stick my tongue out at someone who did something mean, I am the same, silly girl as I was 20 years ago. Just ask my parents. They get to experience my random outbursts every single day.
The point of this post is to remind you all to never grow up. That sounds cliche, right? We can put on a front at work or in school as we grow older, but that does not mean we have to get rid of our young spirit. Stick your tongue out. Read an old children’s book. Call your mom when you are sad. Play in the rain with a friend. Do not lose sight of who you were… carry that person with you always. Remember that it is okay to have a little fun sometimes.