FALLING DOWN THE HOLE OF ADOLESCENT WONDER

dreams; road trip games; hopes; wishes; being careless; feeling free; being so naïve; happy meals; driving around without a care in the world; being young; having no worries; staying up late because it was fun, not because i couldn’t sleep; eating lunchables; walking the streets at all hours just to get a snowcone; running through the sprinklers at school; being lost in time, not controlled by it; blurred streetlights; dancing in the rain; winning goldfish from carnival games; falling down the hole of adolescent wonder……

Too young, too smart, too much for this one town.

This particular picture was taken during a trip to one of Asia’s renown water park - Sunway Lagoon.

Kids in the street. I will be the first one to admit that I’ve always been the goody two shoes. I don’t smoke, not all that fond about alcohol, I keep away from drugs, and you know the drill. Hence when I first heard about this contest that you lot are throwing, it did not once occur to me that I should in any way, participate - I wouldn’t stand a chance against all ‘em other kids with life way colourful than mine, anyway.

What changed my mind though, this might sound petty. It’s the release of AAR’s third single, ‘Kids in the Street’. When I first heard of that song, wow, it literally blew me away. It really did struck a chord. & it had me thinking. Heck, why not. I have nothing to lose anyway. As boring as my life might turn out to be, it is still, quoted, ‘a marked chapter’. 

We all have our own definitions of ‘kids in the street’. & my, well. Obviously doesn’t wander around the street. Malaysia doesn’t have that many alleys and streets for one to take shelter, anyway.

Moreover, in my opinion, ‘kids in the street’, I reckon it doesn’t take form that literally, it’s more about a feeling. Yes, & now, I am about to rant about feelings. Brace for the impact, folks. 

Starting off with that picture, as I’ve mentioned earlier, it was taken during a trip. It was, say, a farewell trip, to a very dear friend of mine. She was flying off to Australia in days’ time. That piece of memory, it was bittersweet. We were thrilled, of course. You see, it takes a blue moon to rise in order for us to get permissions hitching a ride, all the way to Sunway Lagoon. But at the same time, forlorn. Nobody likes goodbye, certainly not I. I do realize even with the booming technologies nowadays, nothing would ever be the same, once that one person whom you treasure is on the other side of the world.

We had fun. We laughed, we thrashed the entire park as if we owned that place, without a care in the world, we went wild, yelling and hollering like a bunch of recently freed dogs. It was crazy. 

Looking back, I’ve realized that my friends and I, being raised ever so strictly, by your typical Asian parents. Any mishaps that might get us into a good ol’ whipping. They are merely trying to protect us for what’s right & what’s wrong via their ways, I get their point of views, really, I do. But at times, I feel suffocated by the rules that they set, tired of being caution, afraid of violating the rules, and the like. Which explains the strange phenomenon that happened that day. It dawned to us that, we were parents-free for a day, no matter how short the hours. We were let loose, free, for awhile. It was refreshing, loitering around the water park without a mean. Spending what’s left of your pocket money on an overpriced ice-cream, staring at boys daringly, and proceeded in laughing it off. Without our parents’ watchful eyes. 

Though born and raised in an Asian community, we were somewhat westernized. No thanks to the social media. Ha. I’ve come to envy the life foreigners led. Their carefree parents, hell. Correct me if I’m wrong, their carefree manner throughout life. Reflecting upon myself, I have always scored good, decent grades in school, abide the rules as if my life depended on it. For what? For whom? I have no idea.

Well, at least not til’ a few hours ago. The single, ‘Kids in the Street’, really did open my eyes. Sharpen my perspective towards things. I could almost imagine I, myself, being caught in that case of scenario. & oddly, I savored every moment of it. Thus, I’ve immediately dropped the homework that I’m tending to, at that very instant, and rebelled. Well, rebel in my own sense. Oh, have I mentioned I’ve been surfing the net, practically doing nothing, and even organized a ‘movie date’ with all my girlfriends? Yes, it might mean nothing, senseless. But to myself, it’s a mega-big step. REBEL, REBEL, REBEL. 

I know it’s a tad late for new year resolutions, but who cares. Starting from today, I vow to speak up more frequently. Stop shelling myself up, and retracting all the opinions that I have, just to please someone, or for the sake of courtesy, decency. & of course, finally start doing things that I enjoy, immensely. For instance, continue my guitar lessons & paint my nails in 192738173 different shades of color because I desire to.

Ah, yes. Stop being on diet, and eat all I can.

I am positive, one day, I will be able to lead the life that I’ve always wanted and break free from all the rules and regulations. I will travel the world, perhaps I wouldn’t even want to come back, who knows. Life is full of surprises, and currently, my life is taking a drastic turn. A turn which no doubt surprises myself, but of course, I’ve accepted it graciously. 

Having said all that, but right now, one step at a time. We only have one life to live. Might as well live to its fullest. Fall in love because your heart tells you so, and so forth. We all heard of that. But it is only now that I’ve completely grasp the statement above. EUREKA!  

My rant might or might not matches the context of ‘Kids in the Street’, perhaps I’ve misinterpreted the whole idea entirely, but in my book, this is what ‘kids in the street’ is all about. & this is an awfully lengthy post, sweet Jesus. 

‘I’ll burn both ends until my fire’s out, lost in the darkness I can still scream out.”

Burn Both Ends

To me, kids in the street doesn't just mean putting life before responsibility. It's the rush of adrenaline you get when you take advantage of every moment without considering your responsibilities.
To me, being a kid in a street is ditching 6th period and going to Starbucks with your friend. It's finally cutting out time to hang with your best friend whom you haven't seen in a year because both of you have been really busy. It's sneaking out of tutoring (and almost getting caught) and racing at 80 mph(on local and residential streets) to get Chipotle with 3 of your friends and laughing your head off when one of them screams, "I'm gonna die!" It is listening to music (AAR) and relaxing instead of studying for SAT II physics (every Asian parent's worst nightmare). To me, kids in the street is forgetting about everything in your life when you go horseback riding and racing through the trail not caring about getting caught.
To me, kids in the street is the pure excitement and nervousness of doing those things and wishing those moments would never end.

Draw me a Story, Tell me a Picture

Burn Both Ends

To me, kids in the street doesn't just mean putting life before responsibility. It's the rush of adrenaline you get when you take advantage of every moment without considering your responsibilities.
To me, being a kid in a street is ditching 6th period and going to Starbucks with your friend. It's finally cutting out time to hang with your best friend whom you haven't seen in a year because both of you have been really busy. It's sneaking out of tutoring (and almost getting caught) and racing at 80 mph(on local and residential streets) to get Chipotle with 3 of your friends and laughing your head off when one of them screams, "I'm gonna die!" It is listening to music (AAR) and relaxing instead of studying for SAT II physics (every Asian parent's worst nightmare). To me, being a kid in the street is forgetting about everything in your life when you go horseback riding and racing through the trail not caring about getting caught.
To me, kids in the street is the pure excitement and nervousness of doing those things and wishing those moments would never end.