Children are the Present

I have been lucky enough to live in several places throughout the world over the last decade or so. Every time I move to a new place, the first things I notice are all of the differences. I notice that while in America we play our brand of football and listen to country music, in Germany we played soccer and listened to David Hasselhof (ok, I made up the Hasselhof bit, but I couldn't resist). In Scotland we ate fried fish and chased it down with dark beer, but in Japan we eat raw fish and wash it down with green tea. In Africa we napped in hammocks suffering the lethargy of extreme heat, but in Michigan we worked long hours in heated offices while complaining about the cold. I am still fascinated by the incredible, if often trivial, differences between cultures and customs from place to place. But sometimes this intrigue prevents me from noticing the commonalities between people the world over.
This discussion needs to begin by saying a little bit about my new girlfriend. Actually, her English is limited to the ability to introduce herself and count to ten (twenty if you let her slide on 15, 16, and 17). I should also mention that she is only five years old. In truth I think the only reason she likes me is because my arm provides her with a monkey bar from which to swing when she is bored, and my hand serves as a security blanket when she gets nervous. All of that aside, she is one of the sweetest little girls I know. It was while I was swinging her around today that I realized how similar kids are throughout the world. No matter where you are in the world, a kid will laugh if you pick them up and swing them around. They will feel safe if you hold their hand. Little girls like to be hugged and little boys like to imitate bodily functions with their underarms (its true...I've witnessed it on four continents). Despite all the differences between people from varying cultures, the kids are remarkably similar. That's when it hit me...
People often refer to kids as the future, but I think that is grossly misleading. When kids grow into adults they forget all of those common traits and they start adopting the norms of their respective society. That's when it all falls apart. At some stage in our life we begin to accept that things are a certain way, and we start to adjust our personalities to fit into the proverbial mold. But it is that mold of adulthood that is different from place to place, not the innocence of youth. We should all strive to remember what it was like when we were kids, especially when we are facing the seemingly insurmountable problems of adult life. Wouldn't it be great if your boss noticed how overwhelmed you were and just picked you up and spun you around? What would happen if we hand a hold to hold whenever we felt unsure? And who wouldn't give good money to see Vicente Fox say to George Bush, "pull my finger"?