Oh, Grow Up!

Thanks to the talented troop of Santa Barbara High School’s Theatre Department and it’s annual Broadway revue, I’ve been mesmerized by one particular song for more than a month! “When I Grow Up,” from the long-running show, Matilda the Musical, addresses childhood’s innocence and wishes, themes to which I can relate.

Perhaps, we’ve all been there: youthful aspirations that somehow get misguided as we get older. It happened to me. And, it’s happened to many of my psychic consultation clients.

While the melody of “When I Grow Up” is infectious, the lyrics (see below) reinforce a kid’s imagination and determination to not only reach for goals, but to conquer “the creatures that you have to fight beneath the bed” that attempt to get in our way. How ironic, as adults, we often become timid and afraid to honor our capabilities. While no longer children, however, we can still aim for the stars at any age.

It starts by listening to that little boy or girl…or, a song!

Love and light,

Tony

Santa Barbara High School’s Theatre Department introduced me to a special song.

“When I Grow Up”

by Tim Minchin

When I grow up, I will be tall enough to reach the branches that I need to
Reach to climb the trees you get to climb when you’re grown up.
And when I grow up, I will be smart enough to answer all the questions that
You need to know the answers to before you’re grown up.
And when I grow up, I will eat sweets everyday on the way to work and I
Will go to bed late every night.
And I will wake up when the sun comes up and I will watch cartoons until my
Eyes go square and I won’t care because I’ll be all grown up.
When I grow up
When I grow up, when I grow up, when I grow up, I will be strong enough to
Carry all the heavy things you have to haul around when you a grown up.
And when I grow up, when I grow up, when I grow up, I will be brave enough
To fight the creatures that you have to fight beneath the bed each night to
Be a grown up.
And when I grow up, and when I grow up I will have treats everyday and I’ll
Play with things that mum pretends that mums don’t think are fun.
And I will wake up when the sun comes up and I will spend all day just
Lying in the sun, and I won’t burn because I’ll be all grown up.
When I grow up
When I grow up, I will be brave enough to fight the creatures that you have
To fight beneath the bed each night to be a grown up.
When I grow up
Just because you find that lifes not fair it doesn’t mean you just have to
Grin and bear it. If you always take it on the chin and bear it.
Just because I find myself in this story doesn’t mean that everything is
Written for me if I think the ending is fixed already. I might as well be
Saying I think that it’s ok.
And that’s not right
And if it’s not right
You have to put it right.