Dear Kid,
Don’t grow up. Not ever. Don’t turn into an adult. That’s my best advice to you. Resist adulthood. Be a kid forever.
Right now, a lot of adults are angry in America. We have a lot to be angry about. Adults can behave badly when they are angry. So please forgive us.
Because the truth is—and I shouldn’t be telling you this—adults can act pretty stupid. Please don’t tell anyone.
Don’t misunderstand me. I don’t mean we’re “stupid” in a negative sense. Truly, I don’t. After all, just because someone is stupid doesn’t mean you can’t love them. Take dogs. Dogs are can be very unsmart, but we still love them. Hallmark Channel movies can be ingloriously stupid, but they are also wonderful.
Still, this doesn’t change the fact that we adult humans are, in fact, giant dipsticks. The problem is, of course, that we adults think we are brilliant. The idiot thinks he’s wise, but the truly wise man knows he’s an idiot.
Oh, sure, our species occasionally does some brilliant things here on earth. Beer is only one example.
We’re not total fools. Humankind has, for instance, learned how to manufacture smartphones with touchscreens capable of flushing our toilets from outer space. We can perform surgery from 4,000 miles away through robotic technology. We produced James Brown.
But this doesn’t make us smart. Because we still don’t know how to listen. We don’t empathize. And even though our parents tried to teach us, we still don’t know how to share.
You know what we DO know how to do?
We know how to kill each other. Again, I’m not being pessimistic. This is just a fact of humanhood. Slaughter is a defining behavior for our species. We are among the only mammals who kill one another.
Tigers do not kill tigers. Deer, although they fight, do not kill deer. Squirrels don’t kill squirrels. When was the last time you saw cows killing each other? How about bunny rabbits?
We humans are a different breed.
Look at history. The Punic Wars in (164 B.C.), 2 million killed. The Jewish-Roman Wars, (66 A.D.) another 2 million. The Crusades (1095-1229) 3 million. The Mongol Invasions, 40 million. The Conquests of Timur, 20 million. Spanish Conquest of the Aztec Empire, 2.5 million. Spanish Conquest of the Incan Empire, 8.5 million.
The American Civil War, 1 million. World War I, 40 million. World War II, 85 million. Vietnam War, 4 million. The Afghanistan Conflict, 2 million. The War on Terror, 1,260,000. The Russian-Ukrainian War, at least 14,000.
I don’t mean to disturb you, I simply bring this up because I want you to know where you fit in to all this.
You see, you’re not like us. At least not yet. You were born into this wonderful world with a clean slate. Although you look like a tiny adult, you are unlike adults in every way.
Yes, you share our same genes, our DNA, our physical traits; yes, you possess our same love of chocolate, carbs, and our preference for cheesy love songs by artists who can’t sing. But you’re better than we are.
Namely, because you are oblivious to our adult fussing and our adult need to be right. Your entire kid philosophy is “Let’s have fun together!” That’s it. That’s how you see this world. That’s all you want from life. Fun.
Every morning you wake up and look for the party. For you, every day carries the possibility of magic, music, art, friends, and bladder-compromising laughter. There are no taboos in your world. No villains. You forgive easily. You love everything. And even the things you hate, you LOVE hating those things.
You are perpetually excited, rarely disappointed, hopeful about tomorrow, optimistic to a fault, miraculously naïve, way too trusting, and you believe in God without even trying.
The very best thing about you, however, is that you see greatness in us adults. We are not great, but you look at us as though we are. To you, we are strong. To you, we never fail. To you, we are beautiful.
I wish I was like you, kid. I want to be like you. Believe me, I’m trying each day, but I fail miserably.
So please don’t grow up. Don’t ever quit loving ice cream, bouncy houses, all-night movie marathons, trips to Disney World, grass stains on your Sunday clothes, red-white-and-blue popsicles, or hugs.
Because someday, when you are older, you will eventually learn the truth about us adults. You will see our shortcomings. You will be disappointed in us. And when this happens, I only ask that you don’t judge us too harshly, friend.
For we know not what we do.
34 comments
Audra S Isenhour - May 29, 2022 10:14 am
Amen.
Anne Arthur - May 29, 2022 10:23 am
The truth.
Michael and Sandra Lauer - May 29, 2022 10:56 am
How can we, as Americans, turn this around? Stop the school shootings. It’s our responsibility to raise our children to become, loving, caring adults. We’re failing. Kids are growing up angry. What happened to the organizations established to help children learn the skills of life; the Scouts and big brother, big sister. And others? Our children are our future, they need our help.
Elizabeth LeDuc - May 29, 2022 11:13 am
Well said. Thank you for speaking the truth in love.
Ronald Blankenship - May 29, 2022 11:21 am
There sure is a LOT of truth in this story. Unless we become as little children, we cannot get to heaven.
"Tree J" Convery - May 29, 2022 11:39 am
Bingo brotha… I wanna get back to being an 6 year old… Just old enough to have an amazing new body to wander with, young enough to believe the world is a wonderful place to explore… 💞💞💞👍✌️
Ed (Bear) - May 29, 2022 11:45 am
At some point in growing up from kiddom, I became unsmart. Now that I have reached olddom, I realize that. We start in diapers and we end in diapers. In between, we make messes.
Kamol Karmakar - May 29, 2022 2:48 pm
Nearly 3 million innocent Bangladeshis were killed by the Pakistani hyenas in 1971 liberation war of Bangladesh, Sean.
oldandblessed - May 29, 2022 12:04 pm
I want to be kid when I grow up.
Priscilla Rodgers - May 29, 2022 12:12 pm
Oh, how wise you are
Ellen Stout - May 29, 2022 12:17 pm
Dear Sean, always write. After the Bible, you’re the best thing I read in the morning.
susieklein - May 29, 2022 12:18 pm
Painfully beautiful.
Jan - May 29, 2022 12:32 pm
Amen!
Deacon Nick - May 29, 2022 12:34 pm
I must insist that the greatest sin of our country — and the world — is abortion! Abortion is BY FAR the greatest killer of souls each and every day, in the USA and the World. In our country, we have murdered at least 63,000,000 souls in my generation: far more than every war we have ever fought, including the Civil War. If we do not win this battle, our country is rightly doomed for the blood we have spilled on our unborn brothers & sisters. Each of us CAN and MUST act to stop abortion NOW. Lord God, we pray for the strength and courage to win this fight!!! 🙏🙏🙏
suzlcahill - May 29, 2022 12:38 pm
Tears with my first cup of coffee. We all need a reminder that the good in the world is all around us, if we look for it. “Look for the helpers.”
Ann Fuller - May 29, 2022 12:52 pm
I would put this one in your all time top 10!
STEVE MOORE WATKINS - May 29, 2022 1:27 pm
Wow. Just had a flashback of waking up on a beautiful summer morning after a nice dream and feeling childhood. Thank you, Sean.
Jean Tucker - May 29, 2022 1:44 pm
You forgot to mention the Korean War , 5 million died including my brother.
beachdreamer - May 29, 2022 1:50 pm
So agree with Ann’s comment! You, Sean, are wise beyond your years! The words you continue to share are such a blessing. I know you had a difficult childhood from your writings, but as I’ve been told many times, if you hadn’t had those difficulties and learned from them, you wouldn’t be who you are today! Todays post is one of your best, as are all of them this week. I learn something from each one of them, including the comments. Got a good laugh from the one from Ed (Bear)😃….and we adults are so good at making messes‼️‼️
Many thanks to all of you. Am praying the adults in our great country can do better…learn from their mistakes and make it a better place for those to come. God bless you❤️
beachdreamer - May 29, 2022 1:53 pm
One of your best! Along with all the others this week. God bless you and God bless all who are suffering and trying to make sense of what happened 🥲.
Richard Owen - May 29, 2022 2:06 pm
Don’t remember where I heard or read this but “I may have to grow old but I never have to grow up.”
Barb - May 29, 2022 2:14 pm
Kelp your sense of being childlike! Love your take on life! I wanta be more like you! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Kathie J Kerr - May 29, 2022 2:26 pm
Please encourage kids not to bully the kids who are different from them. To me, this is where it all starts.
Harriet White - May 29, 2022 3:00 pm
Great one Sean. I wish you didn’t have to write about school shootings – I pray they will stop.
Patricia Gibson - May 29, 2022 3:31 pm
Amen
Peggy - May 29, 2022 4:13 pm
Sean, Sorry, but you are wrong about humans being the only mammals who kill each other. I am surprised you didn’t know this. Here are two examples: tom cats kill kittens, and sow pigs kill their babies (that is one reason farrowing crates are used.)
Peggy - May 29, 2022 4:32 pm
and another one. Logo
Grizzly Bear Attacked By Mother, Mate In Yellowstone; National Park Service Euthanize
Published on May 23, 2022May 24, 2022 in News/Grizzly Bears
***For All Things Wyoming, Sign-Up For Our Daily Newsletter***
By Ellen Fike, Cowboy State Daily
A young female grizzly bear was attacked and mortally wounded by its mother and the mother’s mate over the weekend in Yellowstone National Park, a Utah photographer told Cowboy State Daily on Monday.
Julie Argyle said bear 815 and her male mate attacked the 3-year-old bear after the sub-adult wouldn’t leave an area.
“This is the first time I’ve heard of 815 being aggressive like this,” Argyle said. “But the situation is that it’s mating season, food sources are scarce and it’s her territory.”
She believed that the mother bear was attempting to frighten the bear away from the area, but when the male bear entered the altercation, things became deadly.
Argyle noted that the two older bears actually did not kill the younger one, but left it injured to the point she was euthanized by the National Park Service.
“Her injuries were too much for her to handle and she was suffering in an awful way so the National Park Service put her down in an effort to end her suffering,” she said.
She added that the young bear had been kicked out of its den by bear 815 last summer, so it has been on its own for a year.
Wyoming Game and Fish Department large carnivore specialist Dan Thompson told Cowboy State Daily that it is not uncommon for mother bears and their mates to attack their young.
“As the overall density of grizzly bears has increased within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, we see more instances of what we call ‘intraspecific strife’ such as this,” he said. “These natural occurrences are another indicator of density dependence that is exhibited when a population is at carrying capacity.”
Argyle posted about the bear’s death on her wildlife photography page in order to bring awareness to the fact that the wildlife people see in Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks are exactly that – wild.
“This is a natural thing, it just happened to occur close to a road where people saw it,” she said. “I think this is a great wake up call for people who try to get too close to these animals. We’re viewing them as something that isn’t a wild animal and they definitely are.”
According to the Yellowstone Grizzly Project, bear 815 was collared by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team in 2015. At the time of her capture, there were no cubs present, but she was seen with three in 2016.
Yellowstone officials did not respond to Cowboy State Daily’s request for comment by publication time on Monday.
Linda Moon - May 29, 2022 6:34 pm
Hey Kid…take Sean’s advice even after you’ve become 70-something, 80-somthing or beyond. And dear Sean, you’re right. Too often we adults know not what we do. I see you. I know and love you with those big hugs of yours. And James Brown ALWAYS made me feel good just like your hugs do!
Gigi - May 29, 2022 6:42 pm
Sad to say, but humans definitely aren’t the only ones. Have you never heard of “dog fights” and “cock fights”? They were still going on in certain parts of our country a decade ago. I’ve never been to one, would never go to one, but I’ve read about them being raided in our local paper back home. If anyone doesn’t know what they are, people have a dog that they put in an enclosed area and someone else puts their dog in (usually pit bulls). People bet on which one comes out alive. Same with the cocks and cock fights. It’s illegal, just like moonshine, but sadly, it still happens. Animals will fight each other to the death.
CHARALEEN WRIGHT - May 29, 2022 7:59 pm
❤️
NancyB . - May 29, 2022 8:20 pm
So much truth, Sean! We need to pay more attention to our children. They need to know they are important. They need to know everyone they will ever meet in life is important. Each of us are creations of God. And we are unique, special beings, each with a positive purpose in life. We need to not only teach them, we need to model for them, kindness, compassion, consideration, and generosity. Until those traits are at the top of the everyone’s goal list, Texas will keep happening. Because it’s not guns that kill. It’s hurting, battered people holding the guns that kill.
mark a powell - May 29, 2022 10:17 pm
When I read your post I feel the love that you have for all of us. Man I wish I was more like you! Thanks friend.
Rose - May 29, 2022 10:57 pm
I never say “don’t grow up.” They can remain childlike and pure and kind, but I hope they are allowed to grow up and live long, happy lives. Too many children don’t get to grow up, never get to live glorious, wonderful, magical lives. .
Dale Parsons - May 30, 2022 2:52 pm
Blessings wished for you and your family, Sean.