DAY 58: Innocence Lost

So I am not sure I have said this before, but I am learning Korean. Why? The answer to that question would take waaay more than one post. I divulged this bit of information about myself because I wanted to talk about Asian dramas. You are thinking at this very moment…”What?!” But as always I promise there is a point…I think. There are staples to Asian dramas. Staple number one: The plucky, cheerful, hard working, life’s rough but I get through with a smile character (usually female). She works fifty jobs (this is not an exaggeration), with the goal of paying off her dad’s gambling debt and taking care of her family. She does all this while smiling and saying things like,”with a positive attitude you can do ANYTHING!” or “If you work hard all your dreams will come true.” In Korea these are called “candy girls”. Staple number two: The rich, elitist, arrogant, “I am too good to walk this planet with the likes of you” character (usually male). He is usually a Chaebol, the heir of a major conglomerate. Staple 3: These two characters will first dislike each other and fight like cats and dogs. Staple 4: Then for reasons that NEVER make sense they will need to become participants in some form of fake contract marriage or pretend dating arrangement, where the only rule is they can’t fall in love. Staple 5: The contract of course will be broken, because they fall madly in love. Okay, now you’re like, “Huh?”

Here’s my point.

These stories are fluffy and unrealistic, but nevertheless we are drawn to the innocence of it all. Why? Because the world we inhabit has lost its innocence. Children today are basically little adults. They walk around with smart phones. They have Facebook accounts and can Google information at the drop of a hat. They don’t go out and play. No tree houses, storming the castle or imaginary treasure hunt. Instead they stay in and watch TV, play video games and surf the web. I am not saying any of this is bad, but I am saying that we have taken away their childlike spirit of adventure. That drive to chase a butterfly just to see where it lives. Or follow the rainbow till the end just to see if there really is a pot of gold at the end, or even better a leprechaun. Why am I so passionate about this point today? Lately, I have seen many news stories about kids hurting kids. Children committing crimes that their minds should not even be able to conceive. They are no longer innocence. So I am setting forth a challenge to parents, to anyone who knows a child. Let’s earnestly try to help them regain what society has taken away from them. Let’s give them back that childlike faith that God intended them to have. Let’s help them see wonder and not dread when they look at this world.