Once In a Billion Years

Over the course of my years, I have encountered a variety of people whose words were always louder than their gestures. They only projected confusion and some of them were too insistent that it has to be spread, especially in the rows of the young ones.

I used to be a young one myself, full of a secretive desire to discover. One day, I noticed the way the adults around me behaved as I grew up to realize that they actually, misbehaved. Imagine a world where adults do not know what to do or at least what to do next after this child is now born. It is true that the less affordable solution would be to hide in the folds of the statement; ‘ a simple life means easier’.

In the name of simplicity, let us be easier on our kids, just so they would naturally grow up in a total complexity which they will later on discover. It is true that it is the natural order of things and it will be applied despite all variations. Despite the numerous times the days duplicate and the hours became too vague to confront one’s identity. I also noticed that confrontations were not allowed at all. Grown-ups are always right whose opinion is not only unnegotiable but also totally right.

They always know what is best, because the young one would grow up to realize it. However, it surely sounds absurd and most definitely leads to embarrassment. Since adult thoughts are not compatible with young thoughts. In fact, there is a book called NeuroImage that carries on entire research about this very topic. Where it discusses the differences between the child and adult brain in the local functional structure of the cerebral cortex, where it implies that a part of the shaping of the child’s identity is highly remarked in their young age through “progressive sculpting” and researchers came to interpret this through various methods such as image processing and the use of Iso-Distant Average Correlation (IDAC) maps.

However, these methods only led to one stable fact, that of the influence of outside factors on the way the brain develops and ultimately functions, in the way being regarded as absolutely correct. I think a person has to acknowledge the fact that the young brain differs from the adult brain in many areas of development. For example, the link between the emotional part of the brain and the decision-making center is still developing in the young brain. Which explains why children are always overwhelmed with internal emotions and that shows through their behaviors.

Later on, when they are asked by the adults to explain why they behaved that way (laugh that loud, get too excited…) they simply cannot explain what they were thinking at that moment to behave that way. They simply did what their brains told them to do. So, in this light, it is evident that it is all a matter of outside simulations that explain outside behaviors. Since the young at their age do not tend to think as much as they tend to feel. In this context, Tanja Mcilroy has written an article concerning ‘The Stages of Emotional Development in Early Childhood’, where she states that “Children sometimes act in inappropriate ways because they have not developed an understanding of those emotions or how to express them in the correct ways.”

During their young days, they develop a certain attitude that enables them to gradually learn how to deal with and control emotions, such as fear, jealousy, anger, and sadness, and most importantly to discuss them with adult ones. However, imagine if the adults were too forceful that pain was not to be felt and love is not part of human emotions. This attitude will not lead to abolishing that feeling but rather repressing it. Doing the best they can so that feeling would never surface again. It is undeniable that repressing emotions at a young age causes them more harm. Progressively, and if only done repeatedly, it actually unbalances their brain chemistry.

So, if you are repressing your child’s depressive emotions then you should get ready for more of that feeling in the coming years. It was not your child’s temporary feeling of grief, but rather your repression of that feeling that led to the spread of uncountable physical symptoms that includes; muscle tension and pain, nausea, and digestive problems. It only causes stresses their immune and digestive system. Not forgetting that it also undermines their ability to relate to others. In fact, Crystal Raypole highlighted this concept in his article ‘Let It Out: Dealing With Repressed Emotions’ where he defines repressed emotions as emotions that are unconsciously avoided.

So, I think the unconscious is an important contributor in determining the way the young behave at that age ( one mouth up to twelve ). When every act performed is only done to please their parents according to the ideas they have installed in their thought system to be correct. This makes me think that maybe, growing up is a big error. That the young should have never grown up, as a way to actually escape brutal criticism later on from adults themselves. However, naturally, the young would evolve toward growing beards and teeth that is simply what happens.

Despite this physical evolution, they are constantly questioning; Who am I? And I truly believe that the truth is hidden in the eyes of the beholder and that is all a matter of a blink of an eye for everything to be lost. This state of loss will of no doubt lead to developing one feeling, which happens to be the only one allowed to be felt, that of fear. Sometimes, feelings of embarrassment and humiliation about parts of the young’s identities can influence the way they think about and act toward others.

I hope this article has clarified the influence of ‘’simple’’ words on the youth. Since over time, adults have used a long list of names to refer to their children such as courageous, smart, nice, fearful, and lazy… while it does not reflect a halo of their light. The power and meaning of labels come from adults, who happen to have strength over the youth and they do not hesitate to use them but only for construction. This only makes me count the number of times the probability of change has been counted maybe only once in a billion years.