All Grown Up
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I didn’t grow up with cable, so PBS Kids was one of the few channels that drew me in when I was younger. The show that I always looked forward to was Arthur. It was set in Elwood City and focused on Arthur, an aardvark, and his friends and family. It discussed real-life topics from a child-like perspective, like building friendships as well as cancer and dyslexia. I remember I would always come home eager to watch a new episode of Arthur at 7 p.m. every night, and even as I grew older, I continued to watch the show on the PBS Kids Video app. It provided a sense of comfort for me. Arthur acted like a portal to go back to when I was younger and didn’t understand all of the craziness in the world.
After 25 years of running, Arthur ended on Feb. 21. When I heard the news, I was completely distraught, especially as I am preparing for graduation and college. I didn’t want to believe that something so big in my childhood was going to end, but it did. What was I going to watch when I was feeling homesick? What would comfort me as I enter a completely new environment?
Arthur’s ending was a reality check for me. The universe was reminding me that my childhood will end soon, and I will have to become an adult whether I like it or not. Growing up and gaining new responsibilities isn’t the scary part for me; it’s that I have no idea what will happen in the future. There isn’t an outline for me to follow, and I have to go in blind. I guess that’s why I liked Arthur. I knew what to expect from it. There was never any dramatic change in the plot, and I knew what to look forward to. It was a small part of my life that has never changed, continuously bringing me joy and a taste of my childhood until now.
As my senior year is coming to an end, I’m still anxious about what the future has in store for me. But I am aware that I can’t stop time from moving forward, and there isn’t much use in worrying about the inevitable. Even with that being said, I am excited to explore the world and learn, academically and socially, at college. For now, I’ll enjoy the moments that I have left, re-watching as many episodes of Arthur as possible.
