Why do we grow up? Why do we leave our childhood behind? These are questions we often ask ourselves, and yet there seem to be no answers.

As children we are so eager to grow up. Yet as adults we yearn for the innocence and fantasy of youth. At some indecipherable moment we are seperated from our youth, and it is gone forever. We constantly seek to recapture this lost innocence, looking for something we have long left behind.

What is it we search for? To regain our innocence? To rediscover the wonder of imagination that comes so readily to children? No matter what it is, it is gone. As adults so much of our time is consumed with day-to-day survival that we seldom have the time to let our imaginations wander, to explore our fantasies, to truly be free. Perhaps that is what we really seek in wanting to regain our childhood - freedom.

Children are by their very nature more intuitive, less cynical, somehow more pure, more free. Many even have a peculiar wisdom that far outreaches their experience - and we would often be wise to listen to them. They aren't bound by their experiences and presuppositions as we are, and so they are free to explore limitless possibilities.

As adults we no longer dream as we once did. Sure, we can enjoy a good fantasy novel and we can get excited by the latest sci-fi thriller - but we no longer believe! As children we believed we could fly like Peter Pan. We could build entire kingdoms in which we were kings and queens. We had imaginary friends with whom we could explore exotic new realms, discover fantastic treasures and fight great battles - all just fantasy, but yet very real.

Yet to changelings all this is very real - without fantasy they are nothing. To changelings, the loss of imagination is death. The story is woven into the fabric of their very being - of them. The fear of growing up constantly gnaws at them, and they struggle to delay the process however they can. Yet paradoxically, it is often this maddening fear that harms them the most. Learning to fear is an important part of growing up. Only a rare few ever accomplish this difficult feat.

Our days are spent in the mundane. The changeling's life is, in a fashion, a mirror reflection of our own. Only rarely do we let down our guard and allow ourselves to slip into fantasy. They exist in a world of the fantastic, only occasionally emerging to ground themselves in the mundane. We dream of impossibilities. Changelings live the impossibile every day.

Roleplaying is a powerful means of exploring our dreams. Therefore, it is belitted by many adults as silly and frivolous. Still, fantasy is as important to our lives as it is to changelings. Never give up the search for the wonder of your childhood. It's there, if you look hard enough.

Anything is possible - if you believe!

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Copyright © 1996 - 1997
Created by Wolf Pack Inc, Friday, August 29, 1997
Most recent revision Tuesday, September 30, 1997