My understanding of ‘youth’ changed when I realised I had actually graduated from university. I remember thinking this kind of milestone lay far into the future of a faraway ‘adulthood’ when my youthful days would end and I would suddenly turn into an adult with my life completely figured out. Before when I heard the word ‘youth’ I thought of school children and playgrounds and smooth skin which did not even have the slightest trace of a wrinkle on it.
Yet now that I have given it more thought, I youth is a mindset. I use it to describe people with a playful energy about them. People who have an easy-going attitude to life where they do not get stuck on hardships too much and who are not afraid to laugh too much, or too loudly, and who can find humour in any situation.
I noticed that grandparents who spend more time with their grandchildren are often more optimistic and lively, perhaps because they can act younger again without people expecting them to act like serious adults doing ‘important’ things.
Also, people who love their job remain youthful even when the years add up. They are curious about many things and are constantly on the lookout for something new to learn and entertain themselves with.
Wandering Travelographer 