Growing up...

As children we wanted to grow up. Some of us wanted to be ballerinas and practiced in the mirror for hour, while others yearned for the spotlight and sang countless songs into our hairbrushes; while our broters dreamed of being lion tames practicing with the most fierce of barn cats, or those of the stuffed variety.

As the years went by our views matured so did our dream occupations. We put our ballet slippers and hair brushes away and dreamed of becoming doctors, farmers and politicans.

It was also the time we began dreaming and praticing out walk down the aisle. With the neighbour boy officiating and the cute boy across the street the groom ;while pets, stuffed animals and siblings were the honoured guests.

We longed for what our parents had. We wanted to sit behind the wheel and drive our father's new truck, on our own.

We wanted the freedom to venture past the end of our street on our speedy bicycles. Before long we found our tricycles and bikes in storage, we began our driving lessons and we got our own set of wheels.

With te new freedons and responsibilities we always wanted more. Until the day we had it all, and more.

We now have the car, along with the car payments, car insurance and maintenance.

We have a place of our own along witht he mortgage ayments, insurance and utilities.

We have an education along with the student loans.

We have all we wanted as children, and now all we want to do is revert...

We want to sprawl out on the livingroom floor with Legos, or disappear into the mansion we created from the refridgerator box.

We want to climb the ladder to our treehouse and to the land of make believe.

But we've gone too far - past the point of no return.

We have grown up and matured - our shovels and pails retired from days of sand castle building.