What would you do if YOU stayed 10 years old for 90 years?

Post Reply New Topic

1910. His birthday is either on a holiday, or the first of a month.

A Korean immigrant boy celebrates his 10th birthday. This is also the family's 5-year anniversary for coming to the US; they emigrated from Korea in 1905 because their homeland became a Japanese protectorate, and the family decided not to have any part in the new Japanese rule.

Birthday preparations get underway. He tells Dad, "You know what I REALLY wish for my birthday today?"

"What would you like, (name)?" (name undecided thus far)

"I wish I stayed 10 years old forever, or at least until the nice, round year of 2000."

"Interesting wish; what makes you want to stay a kid?"

"I've seen how adults work - they do jobs I would HATE doing! I've seen them do what I think only prisoners should do- clean the streets, do trash work, clean sewers, and carry bricks. If THAT is what adulthood's gonna be like, then I don't EVER want to be an adult! I'll be happy being a kid forever, Dad."

"If I could grant you that wish, I would, (name). But that's impossible; nobody can stay a kid forever; everyone has to grow old at some point, whether we're ready to or not."

He felt more sullen on his 10th birthday celebration than on his previous birthdays. They ate, played birthday games and other partying, and after the friends have gone home, (name) decided to walk into the woods behind the home about 45 minutes 'til sunset.

He found a place to sit - a large tree-stump. (Name) started to pray, cry, and plead. "Dear God, why can't I stay a kid forever? Why am I forced to grow up and live a miserable life? Why do I need to go through what those miserable adults are going through? I don't want to be a bricklayer, sewer cleaner, or any of those other miserable adult jobs! I want to stay a kid forever! Or whenever I'm tired of being a kid. Why won't you let me stop growing up!? Please, God, why???"

After crying and begging for 10 minutes, an ominous noise sounded in the woods; somehow (Name) felt moved and at peace by it. A sudden wind starts blowing around him. An enigma appears:

"(Name), I have been observing you. You want to retain a physical innocence and not undergo undue pain and suffering."

"Who is this?? You got sent by God, didn't you? Yeah, you're right. I want to stay "innocent;" whatever that means."

"We have been experimenting on various children all throughout time, to see how they would develop if their bodies stopped growing right at their age. You will now have a spell cast on you; this spell will stop your physical growth at age 10; you will still learn from new experiences and mature your mind like everybody else. As you wished, you will remain physically 10 years old for the remainder of the century, and will age one year for every 10 years thereafter."

"Oh, I think I'm gonna love this! Thanks so much! I hope you're for real!"

After exchanging some more words with the entity, (Name) started back towards home.

"Mom, Dad, did you notice any freaky noises? Any weird wind blowing out of nowhere?"

"I thought I heard some distant bang somewhere out there. This sound lightened my mood for some strange reason, but I can't begin to guess what could cause it; not a sound I've ever heard before, (Name)." "I noticed some wind out the window, but it happens all the time."

"I could've been hallucinating. Ah well, kids' imaginations get pretty powerful all the time."

(Name) played with his new presents for the rest of the evening, and retired to bed as usual.

Summer 1912

(Name) is at summer camp when he notices that all the other boys his (real) age are all bigger now, some of whose voices are starting to deepen. As part of a personal history album project for an arts-and-crafts assignment, all the kids at camp had to bring photos of themselves from each of the years they've lived.

It turns out that in his pictures from 1910 onward, only his clothes have changed. He looked identical 2 1/2 years ago at this point - height, complexion and all.

Later on in his camp stay, some of the boys start to pick on him and say that "this midget's supposed to be 12 years old like our group is, but he belongs with the 10-year-olds." "Yeah, I know him from my school. It's like he just stopped growing when he was 10. Wonder what his malfunction is??"

He realizes that visit by the angel was never a hallucination after all! He must do something about his life before everyone around him finds out that he hasn't aged!

WHAT WOULD YOU DO AT THIS POINT?

Should he run away? I'm considering having him write a goodbye note before he packs a small suitcase (and/or a bindle, maybe) and leaves his family forever. The goodbye note may say something like:

"Dear Family,

I have a huge secret that I don't want to scare you with. In order to protect you and my friends, I need to leave and never return. I've also taken my birth certificate from your file, Dad, and I'll bet you can find another copy at the bank or some record room at city hall. If I stay much longer, I'll be known for miles around as a freak of nature, so I must assume different lives in my future journeys ahead.

I still love you all,

-(Name)"

How would you do it differently?

Regardless, you'd probably still have to run away no matter what.

Then after you run away, how would you live your life, staying 10 years old, for the rest of the century?

What all would you do throughout the years? How would you live and survive the changing society?

(And (name) is only turning "11" next year, FYI! =) Remember that from the year 2000, he ages one year for every 10 years thereafter.)

What would I do if I stayed at 10 years old for 90 years?

The same thing I would do if I stayed at 10 years old for 9 000 years.

shoot myself... howsabout 20? 20 I could do...

I believe aging and mortality goes hand-in-hand.

Some people never grow up, even some 90 year olds.

I'd eat ice cream for breakfast and stay up to watch the late show.

Yeah, after his orphanage or adopted family buy their first TV in 1950.

When I think of ice cream for breakfast, I think of getting sick from that. I don't know; should he get sick if he doesn't age? Or does health and aging go hand-in-hand? I think mortality and aging do...

Ooo! I know this one!

I'd be 100.

Thought you fooled me, huh?

I would clean the streets, do trash work, clean sewers, and carry bricks.

That would be sweet, never growing up.

Kids toys seem to keep getting better and better

Bipp Bopp, don't grow up.

I'm behind you 100%!

I'm still looking for those new retractable rollerblades. (no, they're not Heelys, they're knockoffs; the wheels on the real Heelys don't retract.) I haven't found one my size.

I think it would be rather similar to Peter Pan.

I saw some mean as wheels you put on your shoes the other day, problem is it would look stupid if a 23 year old such as me wore them... I really really wanted them!

I actually bought one of those BRATZ dolls the other day, as they're going out of production.

I don't think it would be good to stay a kid while everyone else around me got old and died. How would I take of myself? I wouldn't be able to get a job and earn money just so I could get food and clothing. If I got sick or hurt, there would be no adults to take of me. I'm not Pippi Longstocking, I'm not rich or strong or able to get along without an education.

Of course, I could wish that everyone else in the world would stop aging as well. Then the world will even more overpopulated than it already is, and wicked evil people would never just die. Even if we still could die of illness or injury it would turn out to be a disaster.

Of course, we could just wish that our parents and relatives wouldn't age, but that wouldn't be fair to everyone else. Our parents wouldn't get to see us grow up and possibly give them grandchildren, they'd be stuck raising us little brats forever. Eating all the food they paid for, driving us everywhere, trying to help us with our homework, getting us ready for school, listening to us moan and complain about our selfish little desires when they've been slaving away at work.

Depends on if I would have adult rights.