When I was 5-years-old I had my first soccer game. I distinctly remember that day, despite my age. I remember how sunny it was, and that the field seemed to be three times bigger than it actually was. I was so nervous, yet also so excited; the type of excited where you don’t think that you can contain yourself. I will never forget when the referee blew the whistle and everyone started running; except me. I decided to sit down and pick dandelions.

 For most of my life I perceived that memory as embarrassing, disregarding the fact that I was five, and that those people most likely have no recollection of what had happened. Recently this memory made its way into my thoughts, and instead of being utterly mortified of what had happened I realized something. I realized that that day I established a part of who I am now. That attribute of my personality that was shown the day I decided to pick flowers could have easily been how unfocused I am, or how clumsy, but I felt as if that day was not reflective of those characteristics, but rather one that I take pride in: it showed that I liked to stop and appreciate what the world had to offer, instead of giving in to the busyness of life. Something I think most of us often lose sight of.
 

I say “us” because it’s the inevitable truth that we as people have become so infatuated with work, technology, and the everyday activity of being busy, that we no longer stop to admire the beauty of the world. Or how we all have a seemingly effortless way to calm ourselves like taking a deep breath; an action so simple we often forget how essential the technique is. Remember being in elementary school and being told to count to ten after having a fit? I wonder why that is no longer a method, but cursing and flailing still is.
   

Complicating everything makes it hard to enjoy life’s simple pleasures. It’s difficult to enjoy learning anymore, because apparently our grades define our intelligence. It makes it hard to enjoy sports because competition has taken over. It makes it hard to enjoy social interactions because our society has made it so that to be seen as “normal” you must interact in a specific way, you must say the right things, and not make mistakes. It makes it hard to live because instead of truly living, all we do is exist in a simple world that we have complicated.
   

The importance of just stopping to relax is so often neglected its rarely ever seen. With how busy everyone seems to be, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that we don’t have the entire world on our shoulders. Whether someone is frustrated about work, school, or something at home, it constantly seems as if there is always something going on with a heavy significance. And frankly, it makes it difficult to sit and pick flowers.
   

Like all, I also tend to lose sight of the simplicity our world has to offer. But then, I remember my 5-year-old self and that memory calms me. It reminds me that sometimes it’s best to just stop, relax, and admire how simple the world actuality is.