Growing Up Pains

Growing up is hard to do especially for the human species. Other living things have no way to change how they live but to follow their simple existence to its predictable and certain ends. The human species can change how they live and an average person can enjoy a relatively long and memorable existence. But, along the journey, the human species have to endure the pains of growing up:

1. As an individual, the growing up goes through the physical changes, mental development, and the economic struggles,

2. As a nation, the growing up involves uniting together people with diverse needs and ideals, providing its people with a safe and stable place to live, and fending off aggressions from other nations,

3. As a civilization, the growing up is a snail-paced process filled with moments of life changing discoveries, wide spread destructions, heart breaking sufferings, awe inspiring courage, great expectations, and hopeless desperations.

Individual

When a human species is born, the individual needs 24/7 tender-loving-care to grow up. It gets attention by crying as long as it can. When the parents are attentive and the family is in good economical mean, the individual’s needs will be satisfied. Otherwise, the individual will likely have to endure discomforts of various kinds. The individual will need supervision and guidance till one reaches adulthood whence the physical and mental capabilities are fully developed to ensure self determination, reliance, and preservation. But, before adulthood, the individual will have to survive the invisible dangers lurking in the real world:

1. The sickness caused by bacteria, seasonal flu from virus, unclean food, etc.,

2. The unsavory characters that prey on the young and the innocent,

3. The illness caused by outdoor playing, malnutrition, improper hygiene, etc.,

4. The physical injury caused by traffic accident, fist fight with the others, playing sports, etc.

Nation

Today, there are around 190 nations in the world, each with its sovereign territory, independent government, loyal citizens, and unique culture. Most importantly, they share a similar history filled with moments of:

1. Violence and bloodshed when ideologies and interests collide,

2. Courage and sacrifice when facing aggressions from external forces,

3. Intrigue and betray when jockeying for power and control,

4. Large scale property damages and life lost caused by natural disasters,

5. Demonstration, discrimination, and disruption caused by injustice, ignorance, and inequity,

6. Family turmoil, unemployment, and bankruptcy caused by economic downturns, etc.

   Each nation learns from its mistakes, blunders, and successes. Each nation builds its administration, social, and economic infrastructures with its limited resources. It is a tremendous achievement as each nation’s arduous journey was started literally from nothing.

Civilization

Civilization started when we learned to band together to find food and fend against the elements, to invent languages to communicate more effectively and record important events, and to develop tools to do things more efficiently. From then on, there was no turning back as we were driven by the instinct to survive, the urge to live a better life, and the insatiable thirst for knowledge. But, the growing up was not without glitches as there were people:

1. With un stoppable ambition to control everything at any cost,

2. With irrepressible prejudice against people with different religious beliefs,

3. With uncontrollable hatred toward people of different races, etc.

   There were also catastrophic natural events like:

1. The volcanic eruptions that wiped out a whole town,

2. The big earthquakes that destroyed many cities,

3. The disease epidemics that caused the death of millions of people, etc.

No Pain No Gain

We are born with nothing. After the pain of growing up, we are equipped with the crucial knowledge and basic skills:

1. To live a meaning life in the real world,

2. To face and solve life’s uncommon problems, and

3. To raise a family to complete life’s cycle.

   The nation is built from nothing. After the pain of growing up, the nation is equipped with the infrastructures and power

1. To maintain law and order so that its citizens can live and work in a safe environment,

2. To provide social security benefits and health care for the senior citizens, and

3. To promote research and developments in science and technology to improve living conditions.

   Our civilization is started from nothing. After the pain of growing up, our civilization is equipped with museums, libraries, and schools

1. To remind us of our humble beginning,

2. To inform us of our great achievements and destructive natures, and

3. To educate us how to live peacefully among ourselves and in harmony with Nature.

   The growing up for the other animals is a routine activity. They do not have a lot of chance to learn from the mistakes, have no ability to solve uncommon problems, and are totally at the mercy of the changing environmental conditions. Their meaning and purpose of life is to survive and to reproduce. Our growing up is an obstacle course for learning, playing, and experimentation preparing us for a life of imagination, anticipation, and exhilaration.