it’s about time somebody exploded that hoary old myth about childhood being the happiest period of your life. childhood may certainly be fairly happy, but its greatest moments can’t compare with the sheer joy of being an adult. who ever asked a six-year-old for an opinion? children don’t have opinions, or if they do, nobody notices. adults choose the clothes their children will wear, the books they will read and the friends they will play with. mother and father are kindly but absolute dictators. this is an adult world and though children may be deeply loved, they have to be manipulated so as not to interfere too seriously with the lives of their elders and betters. the essential difference between manhood and childhood is the same as the difference between independence and subjection.
for all the nostalgic remarks you hear, which adult would honestly change places with a child? think of the years at school: the years spent living in constant fear of examinations and school reports. every movement you make, every thought you think is observed by some critical adult who may draw unflattering conclusions about your character. think of the curfews, the martial law, the times you had to go to bed early, do as you were told, eat disgusting stuff that was supposed to be good for you. remember how ‘gentle’ pressure was applied with remarks like ‘if you don’t do as i say, i’ll…’ and a dire warning would follow.even so, these are only part of child’s troubles. no matter how kind and loving adults may be, children often suffer from terrible, illogical fears which are the result of ignorance and an inability to understand the world around them. nothing can equal the abject fear a child may feel in the