My child, the other day you said that you would like to be like me when you grow up
Those words pleased my ears
But on second thought, those words sent a chill down my spine
For what does it feel like to be like me?
To be like me is to be full of turmoil
To be like me is to live in anxiety
To be like me is to live in fear
You see, I am an adult now,
I lost myself at the age of 7
I have have been beaten into shape by society
I have gone through society’s mould
I have become an automaton
I am less than human now
If you ask me who I am
I will tell you I don’t know who I am
For my true nature has been annihilated
But you my child,
You are still innocent,
You move in freedom
You are full of life
You are full of energy
You are joyful
You are playful
You are full of possibilities
They say that as your parent, I should teach you the art of living
But what can a man who stopped living at the age of seven teach anyone about life?
What can I teach you, my child? Other than what society has taught me?
Will I not sap the life out of you, just like society did to me?
Will I not interfere with your true nature?
My child, it is me who needs to learn from you the art of living
For when I grow up,
I want to be like you
Life is life
Fabio is a mental health professional, researcher and lecturer of psychology at Kenyatta university.