When did we become so careful?

I’ve been mentally exhausted for the past few days.

Today, I came to meet a friend. I sat at a table on the rooftop of a café, just watching people around me. Since it’s Buddha Jayanti (a special occasion of Nopal), the area was quite crowded.

Among all the people, one little girl caught my attention. She must have been around seven or eight years old.

She came into the café with her mom, and another woman who seemed like her aunt. Her mom and aunt were busy talking, lost in their own conversation and enjoying their meal. Meanwhile, the girl was completely occupied in her own world.

She was singing softly, moving her hands in the air, as if she was creating her own dance in that very moment.

It made me think.

When we are children, we don’t need to worry about spending time alone. We don’t feel the need to constantly talk to someone or sit down for coffee just to feel okay.

But as we grow up, things begin to change.

We start learning about boundaries. We begin to notice expectations, from our parents, from society. Slowly, we become more conscious of ourselves.

There comes a fear of being judged. A need to fit in. A quiet shift from being free… to being careful.

Watching her, I wondered… At what point did we stop being that free?

And what do you think , will it be still possible to find our way back, even a little?