You’re killing it with these lately. It’s really so odd, but I think the wish to have a cast must be a universal kid wish. All the way up until you actually break your own bone, right? You don’t know what you don’t know, until you learn it the hard way, which is kind of your point I suppose.
As an aside, I think we’re in the same world in our thought process right now. I have post coming out tomorrow, and while it’s about a writing exercise as much as anything, the product I came up with from my own exercise hits the “adults don’t know anything neither” beat too.
Charlie, as always, thank you for the thoughtful words and for reading. I don't know if the theme of 'unknowning' at an age where we thought we'd be more certain is universal, or if I keep running into it also. Looking forward to yours!
I don't hit it the same way you do, and it's not the focus of my piece, but it bubbled up in the exercise anyway. I'm not sure it's what people will take from it though, and it may be visible only to me! But when I read your essay, it was one of those moments when you wonder if you're asleep and are running the same ideas through different scenarios.
Either way, you do a great job of hitting ideas that to me, seem universal, but also not obvious until you read it.
Beautifully put! The older I get, the more excited I get about what there is still to learn. It's great not having to pretend I know everything - working it out with other people is part of the fun.
Yes the idea of a cast always seemed exciting, mostly because you could get other kids to sign it?! This is a great piece and I’m glad to have come across your writing :)
I really appreciate this. I can tell how thoughtful you are about your experiences, and your reflection reminded me of an Alan Watts lecture I was listening to today. He talked about how we can become so caught up in our own perspective that it starts to feel like the entire world. In reality, our viewpoint is just one perspective among billions of others, each shaped by different experiences, challenges, and stories.
Reading your post reminded me of the importance of stepping outside ourselves and remembering that everyone is carrying something we may not see. Thank you for sharing your experience and encouraging that kind of awareness and connection.
Loved every word of this. Third graders romanticize everything. Nobody wanted appendicitis more than me reading Madeleine. And to be the first one to get a pen? Watch out, Jennifer S. That Bic is mine.
Grace, I love your writing and I really enjoyed your essay, especially the part about how you thought you were an adult because you felt you knew so much. I can remember thinking that exact same thing when I was younger too and the part you wrote about exploring other rooms - just wow.
I also came here to say that I too wanted a cast on my arm, glasses and braces… I got the braces, no glasses but I did end up getting a cast on my arm because I fractured my arm after falling over playing kiss chase…so embarrassing☺️
Jo! The sweetest message. Thank you for highlighting your favourite parts. I also was desperate for a cast, braces and glasses and did fulfill all of those dreams 😂 Glad(?) you did too!
This reminds me of one of my smartass students a few years ago, she was super cheeky but also such a character. I had her as a student a couple of times over the years, the first time when she was a shy and quiet 7 year old, and then when she was a motormouth 10 year old. She routinely refused to do what I wanted her to and one day, after I'd given my usual spiel about education and learning and taking classes seriously, she said something like 'what's the point of learning anymore, I've already learnt everything I need to know about how to survive in life' and honestly, she might have had a decent point 😂
Explore, wander, discover, visit many other rooms, but yes - be content enough to find a room where you can finally (maybe even make) but for sure hang some art. ❤️
And I loved being transported back to those precious elementary school years and smiled big at that line about getting your “pen license”. Wonderful essay!
Great piece. Very moving. I also had a classmate pass from Leukemia in 3rd grade, Mr. Smith’s class. The only time I’ve ever seen a teacher cry when he announced it. FOMO for other rooms is an apt analogy for my entire existence
Honestly, I think my early 30's were the period when I felt like I had it all figured out. By my late 30s I was lost again, and now rebuilding into something new. Not as blindly confident as when I was younger, but optimistic and feeling solid about the future because I'm more comfortable closing some doors and picking the rooms I want to decorate.
Ahhhhh Grace this was so, so, so good. First off, I came to the comments to say the same thing Charlie said, about how wanting to break a bone and have a cast really was a universal kid wish 😂
This part gave me chills:
"I’ve shut countless doors in favour of wandering the halls.
I enter rooms, but I’m afraid to unpack more than a toiletry bag.
I want to put up art, find the perfect wool rug, and fill each corner with tchotchkes. But I know that choosing one room means leaving another unexplored. And that every yes becomes a thousand quiet nos."
The cast and also...glasses. I was jealous of kids who had a little case with their reading glasses. Thank you, Deborah. Appreciate you calling out a line that spoke to you! xo
You wrote about such a special time. And now I’m seeing it again with my son (4.5). The time before the world cracked open. This essay is making me think of when that was for me. Maybe first grade. I was good at reading and is there anything else!?
I remember laughing at my dad when he’d tell me he didn’t know what he wanted to he when he grew up. And now I get it!
What a magical time to see this through the eyes of your kid, too. It's delicate, and I've thought about it a lot as an adult. Also, kudos to your dad for the honesty!
Ughhhh how much I relate to this! And so much on the resistance to hanging the art, my god! Why are we still doing that?! Ooofff, so much to say yet speechless at the same time.
I’ve lived SO many different lives for my age and I still feel this. It’s pretty wild.
I just wrote something similar. And another a little while back also.
Adulting is truly one of the most challenging things we ever have to live through! Great read. I also wrote a piece about Grade 3... what is it with that grade? Lol. Lovely to connect here and I look forward to reading more of your work! 🫶🏼
You’re killing it with these lately. It’s really so odd, but I think the wish to have a cast must be a universal kid wish. All the way up until you actually break your own bone, right? You don’t know what you don’t know, until you learn it the hard way, which is kind of your point I suppose.
As an aside, I think we’re in the same world in our thought process right now. I have post coming out tomorrow, and while it’s about a writing exercise as much as anything, the product I came up with from my own exercise hits the “adults don’t know anything neither” beat too.
Charlie, as always, thank you for the thoughtful words and for reading. I don't know if the theme of 'unknowning' at an age where we thought we'd be more certain is universal, or if I keep running into it also. Looking forward to yours!
I don't hit it the same way you do, and it's not the focus of my piece, but it bubbled up in the exercise anyway. I'm not sure it's what people will take from it though, and it may be visible only to me! But when I read your essay, it was one of those moments when you wonder if you're asleep and are running the same ideas through different scenarios.
Either way, you do a great job of hitting ideas that to me, seem universal, but also not obvious until you read it.
Thank you, Charlie!
Beautifully put! The older I get, the more excited I get about what there is still to learn. It's great not having to pretend I know everything - working it out with other people is part of the fun.
Thank you, Louise! I think so too. This makes me want to make a list of all the things I'd still like to learn/ know.
Brilliant post, Grace. It's so hard to choose a door, but that last line is very helpful 😊 Love it.
Thank you, Claire! Sounds like you’re someone that helps people choose a door, so happy to have you here.
This was a great read! Really resonates with me and even all the comments weee greet. Excited to read all your posts!
Steven, thank you for reading and leaving such a kind comment. Looking forward to reading you as well!
Thanks so much, Grace!
Yes the idea of a cast always seemed exciting, mostly because you could get other kids to sign it?! This is a great piece and I’m glad to have come across your writing :)
Thank you, Jo! Happy you're here. Now I wonder what the adult version of a cast would be...
I really appreciate this. I can tell how thoughtful you are about your experiences, and your reflection reminded me of an Alan Watts lecture I was listening to today. He talked about how we can become so caught up in our own perspective that it starts to feel like the entire world. In reality, our viewpoint is just one perspective among billions of others, each shaped by different experiences, challenges, and stories.
Reading your post reminded me of the importance of stepping outside ourselves and remembering that everyone is carrying something we may not see. Thank you for sharing your experience and encouraging that kind of awareness and connection.
This is so thoughtful, Danielle. Thank you for this comment. I will be listening to Alan Watts now.
Loved every word of this. Third graders romanticize everything. Nobody wanted appendicitis more than me reading Madeleine. And to be the first one to get a pen? Watch out, Jennifer S. That Bic is mine.
Liz, this made me smile! Oh, appendicitis was major. Also, getting tonsils taken out in order to down pints of ice cream. Thanks for sharing!
to be honest, as a mom, i still romanticize bedrest. and that covid isolation period everyone bragged about.
Grace, I love your writing and I really enjoyed your essay, especially the part about how you thought you were an adult because you felt you knew so much. I can remember thinking that exact same thing when I was younger too and the part you wrote about exploring other rooms - just wow.
I also came here to say that I too wanted a cast on my arm, glasses and braces… I got the braces, no glasses but I did end up getting a cast on my arm because I fractured my arm after falling over playing kiss chase…so embarrassing☺️
Jo! The sweetest message. Thank you for highlighting your favourite parts. I also was desperate for a cast, braces and glasses and did fulfill all of those dreams 😂 Glad(?) you did too!
This reminds me of one of my smartass students a few years ago, she was super cheeky but also such a character. I had her as a student a couple of times over the years, the first time when she was a shy and quiet 7 year old, and then when she was a motormouth 10 year old. She routinely refused to do what I wanted her to and one day, after I'd given my usual spiel about education and learning and taking classes seriously, she said something like 'what's the point of learning anymore, I've already learnt everything I need to know about how to survive in life' and honestly, she might have had a decent point 😂
She gets it. And in fairness, I’m sure it’s sounds like she’s got more tenacity and fight in her than most. She’ll be great 😂
Explore, wander, discover, visit many other rooms, but yes - be content enough to find a room where you can finally (maybe even make) but for sure hang some art. ❤️
And I loved being transported back to those precious elementary school years and smiled big at that line about getting your “pen license”. Wonderful essay!
Michael! Thank you for sharing and I love hearing the pen license jumped out. I am still, fully certified.
Great piece. Very moving. I also had a classmate pass from Leukemia in 3rd grade, Mr. Smith’s class. The only time I’ve ever seen a teacher cry when he announced it. FOMO for other rooms is an apt analogy for my entire existence
Thank you, Thomas for sharing. We are in the room analogy phase of life together!
Honestly, I think my early 30's were the period when I felt like I had it all figured out. By my late 30s I was lost again, and now rebuilding into something new. Not as blindly confident as when I was younger, but optimistic and feeling solid about the future because I'm more comfortable closing some doors and picking the rooms I want to decorate.
Great to hear you're making strides again. Life moves in strange little cycles, but I bet your rebuild is that much sweeter.
it doesn’t always feel sweet, but those emotions are part of the process, too.
Ahhhhh Grace this was so, so, so good. First off, I came to the comments to say the same thing Charlie said, about how wanting to break a bone and have a cast really was a universal kid wish 😂
This part gave me chills:
"I’ve shut countless doors in favour of wandering the halls.
I enter rooms, but I’m afraid to unpack more than a toiletry bag.
I want to put up art, find the perfect wool rug, and fill each corner with tchotchkes. But I know that choosing one room means leaving another unexplored. And that every yes becomes a thousand quiet nos."
Is it universal that every kid wants a cast for classmates to sign?
The cast and also...glasses. I was jealous of kids who had a little case with their reading glasses. Thank you, Deborah. Appreciate you calling out a line that spoke to you! xo
You wrote about such a special time. And now I’m seeing it again with my son (4.5). The time before the world cracked open. This essay is making me think of when that was for me. Maybe first grade. I was good at reading and is there anything else!?
I remember laughing at my dad when he’d tell me he didn’t know what he wanted to he when he grew up. And now I get it!
What a magical time to see this through the eyes of your kid, too. It's delicate, and I've thought about it a lot as an adult. Also, kudos to your dad for the honesty!
Ughhhh how much I relate to this! And so much on the resistance to hanging the art, my god! Why are we still doing that?! Ooofff, so much to say yet speechless at the same time.
I’ve lived SO many different lives for my age and I still feel this. It’s pretty wild.
I just wrote something similar. And another a little while back also.
I guess this is what we’re on nowadays 🫠
Glad to have found you grace 💜
Glad to have found you, Tina. You're putting out great essays. Thank you for reading and for the kind words.
Adulting is truly one of the most challenging things we ever have to live through! Great read. I also wrote a piece about Grade 3... what is it with that grade? Lol. Lovely to connect here and I look forward to reading more of your work! 🫶🏼