When we enter this world, we are the guardians of the only store of innocence we will ever own. Innocence, of course, does not mean ignorance. Instead, it is purity of heart. Innocence is that precious commodity we spend throughout our lifetime to purchase experience. When it is gone, we are said to be jaded; bankrupt.The trick is to mete out our innocence cautiously, even more so than if it were money. For, unlike money, innocence can never be replenished. It can only be replaced by something else.
Knowledge is the most prominent purchase made by innocence, a truth which echoes of Original Sin, something that is said to have occurred long ago. The loftier the knowledge, however, the lesser the amount of dissipation. On the other hand, the baser the knowledge, such as carnal, the greater the expense.
Innocence can be lost at any age. So it can be said that someone who reaches an advanced age while retaining much of their innocence has spent their life wisely.
© 1999 Charles W. Paige
Pasadena, California
Last modified: Saturday March 17, 2000
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