Posters on the wall, their edges curling with age. 

The toys you used to play with sit on your shelf.

The song you haven’t listened to in years, but once upon a time played everyday. 

People and interests change over time. In simple words, we call this “outgrowing” or just “growing up”. But does that really mean we forget about it entirely?

Maybe you really loved playing with toy cars as a kid. Soon, you began watching races and became curious about real cars and how they work. Later you find yourself old enough to drive one. Sure, you might’ve given up on playing with toy cars but the reason you loved them never changed. 

I don’t think we truly outgrow the things we love, they just evolve and grow with us. They can even change and shape how we think, like lessons from old TV shows or even a lyric or character you really connected with. I still find myself thinking back to My Little Pony in my head every time I see a creative plot and compelling character development in something I watch today. 

Sometimes though, we rush ourselves to “grow up”. We stop liking things because they’re perceived as childish or not popular. Take Halloween, for example, did we really outgrow dressing up and free candy or is it just something we stopped because it was expected of us? A part of me goes even now just to prove it’s something I’m not old enough for or something I want to stop. Many people still find ways to enjoy it anyway, like decorating their houses, passing out candy and watching spooky movies. Maybe that’s proof we can still find new ways of enjoying something we loved.

Outgrowing something doesn’t have to mean letting it go. Think of it like roots, they grow deeper under the surface, eventually hidden by soil but they’re still there, under the surface.