Slowly but surely, we let our dreams DIE.

[kingdomdayz777]

all of us, at some time or another, used to enjoy the simple pleasures (maybe different on THIS board!! ); climbing trees, laying on the grass enjoying the scenery, swingsets, swimming..

it seems as we get older, we put "childish things" aside.
i beg to differ. these are not childish things. i'm 22 and a few weeks ago, on a Saturday, i went to a local middle school and played on the playground..

our natural instinct is to still pursue, and obviously enjoy, these wonderful experiences that keep a soul young.

why do so many try and get serious and "face the 'real world'"??

its like they WANT to live in an invisible prison surrounded by apathy.. thoughts?

[poppyallan]

People are so naturally acclimated to a lifestyle of security, comfort and material excess.
I can't bear the thought of living the rest of my life like this! As a teenager living at home I don't really have a choice, I have been brought up like this, but recently Into The Wild has opened my eyes and made me want to live a better life.
Climbing trees, laying on the grass and watching the clouds sounds like the perfect thing to me and I don't understand how people see this as childish. Humans weren't designed to sit in a sofa all day! We are lucky enough to experience life as it is, so I believe people should get up and have fun, instead of watching others on TV have fun for them.
I completely see your point. I hope someday people realise there is much more to life! Thanks for your opinion!

[RazorsEdge]

At the heart of this discussion is "the meaning of life." I don't believe there is one answer that applies to all. Each person must seek out what gives their life meaning. For Chris it was clear he wanted to live in and off of the land.
My favorite books regarding this topic were written by W. Somerset Maugham. The Razors Edge, The Moon and Sixpence and Of Human Bondage. They all share this theme as the central topic, but each character finds his path to happiness via his own muse. I would certainly rather emulate the paths these characters took, rather than Chris. But I still haven't found what I'm looking for, so it would be foolhardy for me to condemn Chris regarding his journey.
One thing I feel obliged to do is defend the lives of parents. As joyous as becoming a parent must be, it does very much resemble the ending of their individual dreams and aspirations. Providing for you progeny is the most noble thing a person can do. That doesn't correspond to vast wealth, but essentials and nurturing are the foundation for success. So by definition, the individuals dreams take a back seat to the family unit.
I never was a Bowie fan, but I thought he had a great line in one of his lyrics. "Watch out you rock n rollas. One of these days you're gonna get older." From this I take solace in the fact that your goals at 18 should be different from your goals at middle age. If not, have you really grown? So maybe our dreams don't die so much, as they evolve. Maybe even to the point that if you live long enough and become frail, death is a welcome transition.

[Lost Soul]

I hate to be a downer, but dreams are...well dreams. There are so many angles in life it makes fulfilling the dream near impossible. Life is basically compromises no matter how old you are. The more responsibilities you encumber, the more compromises you have to make. Dreams should be used as a guide, and not a plan. Use them to direct you to your path rather than as your path.

My thoughts on a 22y running around playing on a middle school park? Either a pervert, or mental defective. I'm sure other people would think the same. Sounds to me like you're having a hard time copping as an adult, and are trying to relive your past happiness as a child. Well guess what? You're not a child anymore. When I was 22 I had a cute girlfriend, and was taking hiking trips through the mountains. The difference was instead of climbing trees as a kid, I was climbing mountains when I was an adult. In retrospect it was way more fun climbing mountains. But thats just my opinion.

"Why do so many try and get serious and "face the 'real world'"??? Because unless you have family, or others backing you, you are going to starve, LOL. I'd rather live in an invisible prison than under a bridge. What you dont seem to get is its hard enough to make it in the "real world" and even harder as a tramp. Chis died, hello. Millions of other transients have died too. There is nothing wrong with testing your spirit, but you'd be a fool not to have a solid plan, and backing. Its a dangerous road out there. I'm sure Chris went though dozens of hardships that the book, and movie didnt show. He could have been robbed, raped, beaten, or worst. Only Chis knew what really happened. You have to learn from his mistakes, not plan your life to parallel his. That was his journey to take. We all take our own.

[NatureLove]

I totaly agree that people let their dreams die.And I think this is really sad! And only because they are not brave enough to live their dreams,not determinded enough to make their dreams come do. As people just want to fit in society,they often focus on values that are appreciated by society (such as succes,carrer,money and so on).It is really sad they often forget that it is much more important to live a happy life a life in happiness without any pressure of society. Wel,l this is my opinion to this topic, we should all belive in ourselves and our dreams and shouldn't let them die.