When did it become so hard to make friends? Huh?
What happened to the days when you could be calling your peer a butthead one day, throw crayons at them, step on his coloring sheet; yet, the next day call him your best friend?
What happened to the days when the one who showed up to class with pink hair, a Mohawk or lime green jewelry was the talk of the town? Everyone in 
class circled them and asked a million questions and then went home and asked their parents if they could do the same. Nowadays that same person gets gawked at, talked about, made to feel bad about themselves simply because they don’t wear the latest name brands – yet then their trends are seen all over Hollywood short after.
And let’s not get started on that.
For instance, what happened to the days when you could step on someone’s shoe and simply say, “I’m sorry,” and the next thing you know you are both playing in a sandbox, shoes full of dirt? Nowadays the person throws a hissy fit, spouting off the name brand of the shoe – of which is not themselves – all while getting huffy and posing a fight under the assumption that you have “disrespected them.”
No, your simple behind disrespected yourself for buying a pair of $150+ shoes, which kiss the ground all day, with an expectation of them not getting dirty. Use that money and buy a vowel. Start with the letter “I”… you fill in the blank.
What happened to the days when having something in common with someone was an endless conversation? You could go on for hours and by the end of the day you have a friend for the rest of the school year. Now, it seems that people are so heavily into one-upping one another that simple commonality equals competition.
Sometimes I want to scream, “No, I wasn’t stating a bigger number because I was competing, I was only trying to show you how much I agree with you. Now I feel stupid because your mindset is stuck on competition. I am NOT competing. We are talking about eating M&M’s here (or something related which is equally absurd to be competing over)”
(But, then again, you have those people who do make simple stuff like that a competition. That is a whole other conversation entirely – i.e. number of friends on Facebook… 5,000 –LET’S BE HONEST! That’s called a FAN page)
Which brings me to wonder why is it that being nice to someone always means you are looking for something more or are expressing ULTERIOR interests/motives?
I have watched my nephew for the five years he has been teaching me. I have never met a kid so honest, polite, well-mannered and inquisitive as he. He tells stories of overlooking someone’s shortcoming simply because he would rather he be uncomfortable for a few minutes than have someone play alone. Furthermore, when he has to leave he designates another to fill his shoes.
It, even at this moment, brings a tear to my eye. (Yes, just one eye).
When I think of “No Child Left Behind” I think of him.
He doesn’t mind children bumping him and giving others ample turns is a simple concept to him. I grit my teeth and grimace as I restrain myself from tossing every other child aside so that he, my nephew, can enjoy himself the way I feel he should. And when he exits the playground, waiting to return home, he answers my questions by responding,
“Yeah, I had a good time.”
No double meaning implied.
And that is when guilt takes over.
When did I become so calloused? What happened to me?
As we grew up did those names start to stick to me, causing me to put up a wall? Did I become so subconscious about myself that I am constantly on the defense at the slightest visual abrasion someone inflicts on me? When did I forget how to harbor the forgiveness of a child and the comfort of knowing I have loving arms to always run to when I feel unsure of myself?
So is it sad that as I stare at this white page taking on black words that the only thing I can think of is, “When I grow up I want to be as forgiving and carefree as my five year old nephew and as fearless as my two year old nephew?”
I guess when I truly grow up I want have the maturity of a TRUE adult, but the heart of a child!
And I hope my nephews can retain theirs.
Touch Your Nose 