On Innocence

Saw a cute video of a toddler kissing a living statue today.

Living statues are artists who paint themselves to look like stone figures and hold a stationary position as people walk by. In this case, it was a woman painted gold sitting on a park bench with her eyes closed. A two year old crawled up on the bench. He kissed her on the cheek. She opened her eyes and broke character - laughing. The toddler laughed. Its heartwarming. A reminder that there is beauty and wonder in the world.

It also made me think of innocence. Of the pull towards a more “pure” state of being. Think Adam & Eve and the Garden of Eden. Peter Pan and Neverland. Frodo and the Shire.

Its a seductive prospect. To go back to a time when things were simple.

But is this really something we’d want? Living forever in the stasis of childhood?

Purpose in the universe, as much as such a thing exists, has always felt like forward movement. To experience. To learn. To feel. To become what we are uniquely suited to be.

Staying still. Going back. This feels like an abdication of gifts we were given. Like a caterpillar that never becomes a butterfly. Like a child that never grows up.

A river keeps flowing. Dam it and you get stagnant water.

Innocence is tantalizing because it reminds us of the place we came from. But it is not a place we can stay.

The best we can do is to carry it forward. To temper it with a life well lived and hold on to the center. To become a child fully grown. And only break character when we see our reflection.