This Story will Ruin Your Childhood

[@HelloFutureMe]

That line about adults not being real really stuck with me too, because as I've grown there's definitely been this sense of "is this it? Is this as together I will ever feel?"

[@TheTaleFoundry]

It's especially rough because all through childhood you have this idea that adulthood is a destination, a place where things will fall together for you. And then you get older, and you realize it only looks like that because, as the world slowly falls apart around them, it becomes an adult's responsibility to hold it all together as best they can. So you just become a kid with more responsibilities and more stress, and it doesn't look at all so glamorous anymore -Benji, showrunner

[@Loaves_of_Cat]

I’m legally an adult and am still the same me from middle school 😐

[@mycaleb8]

Personally, and this might be a bit controversial, I think that's actually a product of our modern world, not a universal truth.

[@blindcarl1875]

The crossover i didnt know i needed.

[@alwynwatson6119]

Even that line about "reality and practicality and fear crowding out all the other possibilities" is incorrect. Freedom and experience are hardly mutually exclusive. Other possibilities can't be crowded out by reality and practicality and fear they can only be made more necessary. Or maybe I'm just being weird.

[@shijin8947]

The woman saying "you dont pass or fail at being a person" seemed like such a throwaway line, but it brought tears to my eyes for a moment, like its something no one has ever told me

[@ShadowTiddlers]

It's amazing the moments we forget and the ideals we attempt to live up to that we don't even understand

[@thegreattotemaster]

I mean... a person easily can fail at being a person. But okay, you do you I guess.

[@codasinger5298]

Especially him asking if he passed or not. Like the suffering that made him who he is needs to be paid for or smothered with accomplishments.

[@thegreattotemaster]

@@alexisvulfiaawenfern8112 If you aren't successful in life, you fail at being a person. Simple as that.

[@deamongimli]

@@thegreattotemaster Bad take. If anything, it's our failures that make us human. They make us "a person".

[@pyrethorn]

I once asked a coworker what it feels like to be a grown up. He was 44 and had a kid. He told me that he didn't know. It still blew his mind that he had a kid. He followed that with words I'll never forget, "There are two types of people in this world, those who have resigned themselves to adulthood and those that never grow up." I'll be 40 this year. I still don't feel like a grown up. I still make snow angels. I still get excited and dress up for halloween. I'm still afraid of the dark. I don't feel like I've aged. I'm just a little slower than I used to be. Body isn't quite what it once was. Life hasn't lost it's wonder. Don't think it ever will.

[@coffintears5821]

When imagination dies thats when the world does too. I don't think anyone should be ashamed for having child like wonder in a world so dull. Once you lose your imagination the child inside you dies.

[@victorhurwitz5559]

@@coffintears5821 keep it alive.

[@Mattm182]

I hope life has wonder for me some day. Never got to be a child. Never really got to feel all that happy or remotely okay. I dunno. I just keep getting older and those around me keep doing better and better while I spin my wheels and feel like my body is dying from years of drug abuse during my early and mid 20’s.

[@pyrethorn]

​@Daniel Linley Yep, at times. Trauma is a bitch. If I'm having a rough day, I just feel safer with a nightlight.

[@roberthuman8091]

@Daniel Linley It’s really not that unusual. Calm down.

[@MySqueezingArm]

I went through a lot of trauma as a kid, but there's something that always gives me warm nostalgia: The warmth of early September slowly fading into a crisp clean autumn. It reminds me of fresh starts, new beginnings, and my favorite holiday (Halloween).

[@lady.eidolon]

Hey, me too! It was always a feeling so big & hopeful inside me when I was little!

[@QueenBoadicea]

Boys and girls of every age, wouldn't you like to see something strange?

[@Daelyah]

I...I haven't resonated so much with a sentiment in a long time...

[@syrusangi8743]

That's beautiful ngl

[@iexist6392]

Halloween is my birthday :D

[@danieladrianmordekai8979]

"There's always the child inside." I think that's an interesting thesis and true for most people. To lose your inner child in its entirety is a terrible thing. It is to know that some part of you is missing, and no matter what you do or where you go, you can never get it back.

[@danieladrianmordekai8979]

And once it's gone...you always feel it missing. Like a blank spot in a jigsaw puzzle.

[@ryoumakoushiro7447]

@@danieladrianmordekai8979 Aye... It's definitely felt like that

[@defies4626]

Yeah. It died long, long ago.

[@Ubu987]

@@defies4626 For me, it is definitely there, but alive and insulated from the rest of my consciousness like a pocket of lava.

[@starkiller6tothe9gaming81]

I still act like a big kiddo , should maybe tone it down a bit :P

[@171QA]

Gaiman has to be one of the most imaginative authors I’ve ever read.

[@satsukisan8128]

I agree . I only discover some of his work recently and I love it .

[@davidedgar5923]

Mirrors and Dreamscapes has the most terrifying two-page horror story I have ever read.

[@penelopepigeon8505]

He's never forgotten what frightened him as a kid. 💖

[@fenixmeaney6170]

I'll probably never forgive him for the ending of the graveyard book. On the plus side, now I'm sure I have abandonment issues.

[@adengoldstein5130]

U got 1 k yay

[@taylortanner37]

My mom is like Lettie. She always told me becoming a grown up isn't real. You'll get older , learn new things , feel new ways , experience new aspects of life but none of those things magickally turn you into an adult. Others may see you as one and you may be called one but you'll probably never feel like one and that's ok. You are only supposed to feel like you and work through those feelings to the point you feel content.

[@jessirose]

yeah I'm realizing that now as a 20 year old

[@taylortanner37]

@@jessirose kinda sucks doesn't it ? Hell , I still have nightmares about not graduating high school or being late for class and I graduated back in 2008. Apparently , my mind only registers me as a teenager even though its been 12 years since my age had the word teen in it.

[@jessirose]

@@taylortanner37 I have the same dreams about high school, it's really weird!

[@taylortanner37]

@@jessirose I wish I could tell you they eventually stop but probably because of our chat I had such a realistic dream that I had to wake up and find my diploma to make sure. I keep it in the shelves next to my bed since this happens fairly often.

[@lazylaziness1352]

Honestly tho yeah I hate it when people say “act your age” or some bull crap like that cuz first of all I can act however I want despite my age you can’t tell me how to act cuz of my age and I know dang well that you the person who told me to grow up you probably had parents that treated you like growing up makes you change I mean of course it makes but doesn’t change every little thing about you (sorry this was written out of frustration of those who tell you to “act your age”)

[@elenadirectorofmiiss7942]

"Fairy tales don't exist so that children know dragons exist. Children already know dragons exist; fairy tales exist to tell children dragons can be killed." - GK Chesterton

[@twiztidyournutz]

A heartbreaking truth.

[@ghostshrimp5006]

I know this is supposed to sound sad and all but holy hell that’s powerful

[@elenadirectorofmiiss7942]

@@ghostshrimp5006 I agree; I think children are all to aware of the fact evil can and may win, but the idea that good can triumph even if it requires sacrifice or loss, can inspire and help humanity make better choices. Let’s put it this way, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that people who are a child at heart, not immature, but look at the world with child like wonder and aren’t afraid to keep trying even if they may be hurt, are the leaders who change the world.

[@ghostshrimp5006]

@@elenadirectorofmiiss7942 Whole heartedly agreed

[@user-id3my6cr1r]

@@elenadirectorofmiiss7942 Absolutely! The older I get, the more I realise my 'mature' peers (I am 17) are bland, boring and have nothing helpful to contribute. No imagination at all. Fitting in was desirable when I was in my early teens, but one day I hope those with the imagination, the voracious curiosity, and the wonder will innovate and better society

[@fathammy5955]

I personally went through extreme trauma as a child and the adults had honestly always treated it all as a joke. This story honestly helped me realize that I’m not alone. I really do appreciate this video. I love watching your content so thank you

[@calladricosplays]

A teacher actually recommended this story to me long before I knew what I was going through. That was very forward thinking of her

[@yaboi9183]

Kids don't have it as easy as some adults say we do I'm in my first year of high school and gosh is it rough I have to make sure I'm passing 6 classes all the time and if im not passing all of them not only will I fail I will also be yelled at by my dad "for not trying hard enough" adults can yell at kids when the kids do something they don't like but if a kid yells at an adult when the adult does something they don't like it's considered rude and disrespectful my point is if you or anyone that might read this thinks childhood sucks most of the time it does and I promise your not the only one that thinks that and the sad part is most of the time when I say something like that to an adult they'll just laugh and say something like "you think that's hard try having a job kid trust me you don't know what real stress feels like" stress can be experienced at any age it's not a part of the brain that just unlocks when you become an adult and some adults need to get that and start taking everyones problems seriously no matter there age

[@codyandjessisalazar3429]

@@yaboi9183 You are right to a point, but I promise you life does get harder When you become an adult. I was horribly abused my entire childhood but there are times where I would go gladly go through all that again… Just to be a child again and not have to deal with all the bad stuff that’s came from being an adult. When you were a child, you can look forward to things getting better, but when you are already an adult, you don’t have the growing up and getting away from childhood to look forward to anymore. The only thing you can do is hope, pray, and help yourself in making things better bc You only have yourself now. You don’t have your parents or one parent taking care of you, it’s all on you now. I promise you….try to enjoy childhood and all of it’s struggles and learn from them……because it will get better if you let it. And if the worst thing you have to worry about is homework and parents getting onto you or other adults, then buddy…consider yourself very lucky.

[@calladricosplays]

@@codyandjessisalazar3429 not true. Many of us can only have the tools to escape abuse once we reach adulthood, especially when it comes to things like having the connections to get out of a tough situation. That's what my teachers knew, when at the time I thought they were just saying that things will be better in college just to get me to college. I've had friends who were homeless before they could even finish high school, and then they had to figure out how to get to college overseas with no help or resources. Once they became legal adults they actually had rights and legal power, and most importantly, the friends and the confidence to know what is normal and what is actually abuse. I'd much rather be able to choose my struggles than have to deal with nonsensical rules from a bygone century on top of all the stress and isolation I already had

[@DamonDraven]

@@yaboi9183 The best we can do is not become that type of adult ourselves. To reach a point in our life where our job is satisfying, so that we can't say "having to work sucks, I'd rather be a kid like you". So that we can actually understand a kid's difficulties and give some advice, instead of shrugging it off with "boo hoo I have it harder than you".

[@unitymomentum]

Also, i think Ursula or "the boogeyman" in this sense represents things like trauma or abuse, they're VERY REAL and isolating, something commonly endured so much by children.

[@AnimeShinigami13]

It's no wonder my mom loves this story so much. She's a survivor of child abuse and she struggles with the trauma still, in her 60s.

[@syrathdouglas1244]

When I was a kid I got into science too soon, I started out watching dinosaur train and how it’s made but quickly got into how the universe works. I spent a large part of my childhood worried about meteor strikes and solar flares. The fact most of my close relatives were either old or sick didn’t help, as I went to more funerals as a kid than most people probably do as adults. There’s one thing that always brings me back to the good parts of my childhood, though. Going to sleep on a warm summer’s night listening to the frogs sing as rain gently patters against the window.

[@joshuawagner2590]

I loved anatomy. Learned too much at a young age and became afraid of everything that could go wrong with my body. I also attended many funerals when I was younger, so death was very real. Never had that "invincibility complex" youth are supposed to have. Always knew I wasn't invincible...and it terrified me.

[@satsukisan8128]

Almost similar experience. Me too I was too young to understand but I found out that we lived on a planet that's round which is surrounded by emptiness I just thought " Oh my god . I'm going to fall with the earh . Because there's nothing supporting it ! " And for sometimes I just braced myself for the inevitable and start walking like on eggs. Until I realized it's not going to fall that soon. And eventually forgot with time. Silly child.

[@user-id3my6cr1r]

@@joshuawagner2590 Me too to an extent! I didn't know everything about the human body but I was terrified of getting sick. Every time I went to the hospital I would scream and cry to the doctor that I have cancer. Honestly, when I feel like I wish I was little again, I remember all that and I'm kinda glad I'm 17.

[@AXyntrovert]

@@joshuawagner2590 I think I can agree with you. At the age of 7,After my parents divorce and painful torment they brought me. I suddenly became aware of everything too soon as well, it's mostly about age and how you'll work until you drop, It was a terrifying experience for me back then that I went around asking my family members "How to live forever". Obviously,No one could give me an answer and i forgot about it, right until I saw this video which gave me flashbacks of it

[@chart6454]

How does one get into science too soon?

[@savakirilov5263]

Moral of the story: if a worm crawls inside your fucking leg , tell your parents to take you to the ER

[@russellperry9902]

I did and it literally took half a dozen doctors to diagnose it proper. African ring worm , probably picked up from an airport

[@khunt5336]

@@russellperry9902 man I really feel like an ass explaining someone's diagnosis to them but ringworm isn't a worm at all, source: had ringworm

[@sirthisisawendys9030]

@@russellperry9902 I’m pretty sure ringworm is actually a fungus-

[@lm.7775]

hookworms?

[@russellperry9902]

@@sirthisisawendys9030 yeah thats what a dozen other doctors told my parents too until they had me seen by a new doctor fresh outta college who was excited because my African ring worm was on his finals. He knew exactly what it was and treated it properly. Moral of the story? Never be sacred of getting a second or even a their opinion.

[@Silverflame-1]

"You don't pass or fail at being a person," this legitimately made me tear up with how kind and poignant it is.

[@occyhazbin]

Agreed.

[@nyxshadowhawk]

Man I did not expect this to be an animated summary of The Ocean at the End of the Lane, but I'm glad it was! When I met Neil Gaiman in person before the pandemic, I asked him what his favorite of his work was, expecting that it wouldn't be an easy question to answer. He told me that he didn't have a favorite, but that this book was the most personal. Then I went and read it. I have feared adulthood since I was around six years old, and am trying to ignore the fact that I've now reached it. I've often felt like adulthood offers me nothing in exchange for the loss of my childhood except for sexuality (and adults often find ways to ruin that for themselves, too). But why begin to think like an adult, anyway? Why not be like Randolph Carter and become king of a dream-city? No one is stopping you. Why not buy yourself an entire cake at the supermarket, just because you can? Why not talk to an imaginary friend? Or see an ocean in a duck pond? If you combine a child's sense of wonder and perception of the fantastical with an adult's intelligence and discernment, then you end up with something marvellous.

[@sniderealism2410]

Because Adults have rules to follow and the responsibility of taking care of themselves, while kids are completely free. You want to talk to an imaginary friend? You better hope you're alone while doing it, cause if someone else spots you, you will get judged negatively for it. Which then can paint their perception of you badly, and then can affect your job or relationships in your life. You want to eat a whole cake to yourself? If you do that too much, then your health will plummet.

[@nyxshadowhawk]

@@sniderealism2410 Kids aren't completely free, not in the slightest. Kids are subject to the whims of adults, can't make decisions on their own, and are constantly supervised and kept in line. Talking to imaginary friends doesn't impede my ability to function. If someone spots me, I tell them the truth -- I'm a writer, and I engage in imaginary dialogues with my characters. Boom, socially acceptable, just like magic! I suppose you're not called "Snide Realism" for nothing.

[@viiyaxyz]

Utterly love your comment.

[@oo8962]

My entire adulthood is basically just me saying "Eh, why not?" "Eh, whatever" This is why my life is in shambles. Nobody to beat the shit out of me when I misbehave.

[@hades_head_empty]

my immediate thought is that she's hecate. she being the three women. the maiden mother and crone. also this exploration of children where the possibility of an unreliable narrator obscures what is magic, reminds me of too far by rich shapero.

[@Parasolhyena]

Huh that would be interesting as when he got older, the maiden had to sacrifice herself so he could move on.

[@necrocomicon8]

your voice is so comforting, it like a family friend or uncle who takes you in for a couple weeks when you parents are working out their divorce. I make me feel like I can be vulnerable.

[@bellasaid7732]

I became an adult a lot sooner than most of my peers. because of the trauma i grew up and tried to hide it behind a mature persona. I miss her, the sweet, loving and adorable girl I used to be; she laughed so much louder, smiled a lot wider.

[@roxannestine4619]

Me too..I had to grow up at a very young age..I grew up with a mentally ill mother and I was so much more mature than her.. always keeping an eye on her as people treated her badly and men took advantage of her. I too dealt with alot of trauma and unfortunately ended up in foster care.i now am her care taker. Even though I had a lot of hard times I would never change a thing...bc it molded me into the person I am today. Peace be with you 🌹

[@coco-oh7rx]

omori pfp says it all

[@user-id3my6cr1r]

This strikes home as a 17 year old who is terrified as hell to grow up. I feel like I'm a kid. I'm an adult in 2 months. My imagination is wild (although not as wild as it was when i was younger) but i feel like I'll never grow up not really. Edit: Thank you so much for the likes and replies! It's really reassuring to see that there are other people who feel the same. I bet more people I know feel like this, but all my classmates are 'grown up' - with girlfriends or boyfriends, they look like adults and look so responsible. And then there's me, who still goes 'ew' when someone asks me if I am ever gonna get a gf. I still personally think 17 is too young for romance but ehhhh. I have autism as well so that dosen't help. This is really dumb, but recently I watched Death Note and I got really jealous of L because he has Watari, who is sort of like a caretaker to him, and Near who has people who watch over him too. I wish I had one, I mean usually that would be a parent, but when you're an adult you aren't supposed to rely on your parents right? So fun. Most people my age wanna be independant, move out etc, but I just wanna crawl into a hole. 😔 I'm hoping that one day I can afford to rent a parent figure who can help me. No idea what this rant was supposed to mean. Bye. Edit 2: I've been 18 for 14 days! I gotta say it's quite underwhelming...I didn't have any sort of celebration bc I have exam season (A levels) so it dosen't feel all that different. There ARE perks to being an adult I guess. I don't need to ask for my parent's details if I want to sign up for places which only allow people over 18 (and there are a lot of places...) I can actually do what I want. I thought that being an adult meant sacrificing imagination, creativity, and thirst for knowledge on all topics. I realized I'm not scared of being an ADULT. I was scared of being an adult stereotype - going to work, complaining all day, watching tv, having no hobbies etc. If I can be an "adult" who can still study whatever I want, I'm happy. I thought adults had to commit themsevles to one hobby or two they are good at, another reason why I feared growing up. Yeah I'm a nerd.

[@frostrivers4057]

You grow up when you WANT to grow up. No one chooses when you grow up, you do.

[@user-id3my6cr1r]

@@frostrivers4057 That's very reasurring to hear. I lost the majority of my childhood and teenage years, so I've always felt like I haven't had the chance to grow up just yet.

[@frostrivers4057]

@@user-id3my6cr1r It’s YOUR childhood. Live it how you want

[@quiescence90]

it's a lie. There are no adults.

[@mariagoff5532]

I'm 42 and still haven't grown up. As long as you nurture the child inside you it will never die even if it does change a little.

[@RainbowEssence-c3w]

Letty, Ginny, and Old Mrs. Hemstock remind me of Hecate, a goddess often depicted as three women each representing a part of women's lives. There's the young maiden represented by the waxing moon, the mother/pregnant woman represented by the full moon, and the old woman represented by the waning moon. She is the goddess of boundaries, crossroads, witchcraft, and ghosts. Sound familiar? It sounds just like Letty and her family. I wonder if Neil Gaiman took inspiration from that? What a captivating story, I really have no idea what it means or if there is any hidden meaning. But it is very interesting, thank you for sharing.

[@eryqeryq]

Gaiman uses the Triple Goddess a lot. "The Sandman" is filled with incarnations from different myths

[@RainbowEssence-c3w]

@@eryqeryq Really? Interesting, I will definitely have to read some of his works then!

[@samwill7259]

Does EVERY video you folks make have to be topped off with me clutching my knees to my chest and staring at a wall for twenty minutes? I don't care if the answer is yes I just wanna know so I can start scheduling it out ahead of time.

[@TheTaleFoundry]

Not every, but we aim for a solid ~80% -Benji, showrunner

[@shadowbrain4814]

There is something very... Deeply upsetting about this story. I got off easy in childhood, I don't think I had any serious traumas. But the idea that the man would so quickly lose his memories of his childhood adventure for the mundane world even as early as immediately after they happened felt wrong somehow. Like he was losing himself, even that young. The world was taking something away from him, without care for him.

[@eveningjaguar]

I've not left my childhood yet, only being 17, and most of the moments I take away from this story are still very recent for me. I will not specify which moments, naturally, due to the way I'm already emotionally upset that I can relate so much, but I can say that this video helped me realize that it's not over. Bad, worse, or better, things may still be able to change for me.

[@BoiFluffyFurry21]

This hurts so bad :(. Even if I never experience that kind of stuff, this hurts cause it childhood is supposed to be great time of your life. Unfortunately, not everyone gets to have a good childhood and its sad to see that.

[@Munchkin.Of.Pern09]

As someone who went through trauma as a kid and can’t really remember anything from before it… this honestly hurts a lot. To be shown what I’ve forgotten, and won’t ever be able to get back. I’ve lost a version of myself.

[@edwardcrow6385]

My childhood was riddled with abuse both from family and those around me. I knew despair at an early age, but I remember when I was a child. I fell over a hill and found my self surrounded by trees. No more then 15 feet away from me there was a river rushing through, this tiny clearing bled light through the trees and it was the most beautiful thing I had ever experienced. I still find my self looking back at that memory. No screams, no pain, just me and the trees

[@im.a.little.dead.inside5522]

I went through quite some trauma as a child and no one ever cared, everyone pretended like it wasn't important, like I had the happiest childhood and as a result I missed out on practically everything that usually makes ur childhood so good because as a trauma response I had (and still have) extreme trust issues towards everyone and everything including my parents. Tho I love this story, I can't cry anymore but I know if I was able to I would've cried

[@hannahholden]

The line "these things just simply happen to him because he is a child"...this almost made me cry...why is this so relatable? This whole story is soooo utterly beautiful.....Thank you, Tale Foundry.

[@EveryDayALittleDeath]

I love Neil Gaiman. His work is amazing. Neverwhere is my favorite standalone novel ever. Ocean at the End of the Lane is really good too.

[@Dan-iy1hc]

This had me full on crying. I tell my friends that I'm just kid with adult responsibilities. It's self deprecating humor to them, but the truth is there's nothing I'd rather be. I've kept my inner child alive and well through so many traumatic things that happened to me as a kid, that it feels especially sad that he seems to be fading away now. All of you saying you still feel like a kid give me hope tho, I hope I'm like that. Also screw you KZbin recommendations. Holy fuck

[@Waluigi93666]

I bought this book when I was living in Manhattan, and the opening chapter felt like it was ripped straight out of my seventh birthday. Thank you for covering this book!

[@CarlsCozyCorner]

I remember watching my childhood die. It felt surreal and scary. It was strange because I knew what I was looking at: an emaciated childhood that lasted too long and not long enough, dying. There's still a little bit of it there, and it's still dying.

[@fiddleriddlediddlediddle]

Do you know why we adults don't like to remember the child inside us? At least in my case? It's because the moment we do, the moment we try to open up to who we are, something takes the opportunity and punishes us for it.

[@Pipefox03]

This hit harder than I thought it would. The simple quotes brought me to tears, the heartfelt messages, everything, hit my heart. I don't think I'll ever forget the quote, "Nothings ever the same. Be it a second later, or a hundred years, it's always churning and roiling. And people change as much as oceans." These videos are what I live for.

[@martineldritch]

It was a fantastic book. At times when I feel nostalgia, a vague ache that seems to have no cause or reason, stories like this lead me to that place within and reacquaint me with that child I was and I'm reminded that everything has changed since then and yet nothing has changed.

[@Spagettigeist]

That's one of my favorite books and the way you presented it made my heart ache even more. What I liked most about this book is Neil Gaiman's writing style... I can't really put my finger on it but... when he writes from the perspective of a child, the writing becomes very gentle... even if the things that are described are anything but. For some reason I can really connect with that.

[@LARADEKA]

*_Childhood._* *_The element of innocence and youth... sucked up by the harsh reality, the indoctrinated laws, that makes us feel like hopeless slaves._* *_Life feels ridiculously hard._* *_Fantasy still feels puzzling..._*

[@deadaccount6385]

I’ve never let go of the child I once was… I spent so much time waiting for the chance to escape my trauma and be a kid that I had forgotten to grow up in a way. People often notice how much more I have in common with an older child than an adult and I don’t want to change that. Part of me will always be that child

[@thandiwembonela5181]

to me, Ursula is all the trauma and the line that says "he had a part of her left in him" really got to me. we can cut off the trauma's vessel, but the trauma is still there. we're left to pick up the pieces. even if we're not alone whilst doing so, it can feel like we are because we were going through those things alone.

[@VoiceOfTheEmperor]

I haven't even listened to a minute of this video but I know it's going to break me emotionally. Let's get this over with. Thank God. It didn't break me. It DID make me tear up though. However, it wasn't a painful cry. It was a cry of joy. I had a fantastic childhood. Full of friends and joy and wonder. Wonder that I channeled into my first book: The Wolves of Terra. It should be released by mid April of 2022. That said, my inner child has been given the greatest gift of all. The opportunity to help the Adult that he has become be successful in the world. Even if it's just a little bit.

[@jennifermazur4285]

Life is life. People will be people. We grow and learn. No body is perfect. Nobody has a perfect answer. That's what I miss about my childhood, that blind faith and not knowing. I'm buying this book for me and mines. So simple yet so dam deep and relevant on all levels. I needed this thank you.

[@rocki_bb]

I keep listening to this. It aches like a bone broken long ago that never healed quite right. It's a combination of the familiar and a pain that's seemed to always be there. It stirs up wounds that will never really heal and a desperate longing for the safety of a duck pond or an ocean...

[@josephcompton5602]

Love that book when I read it, and that scene with the bath tub nearly gave me a panic attack reading it, until I realize that old trick of "if this is a flash back that mean they survive it." Still it was very effective on how unnerving it was. That ending before he leave the duck pond still sticks with me.

[@sachamcphedran6943]

Gaiman lived on a lane next to the lane I live with my family. All the fine details and magic he wrote about is real and it is just like he writes. The farm house and ponds are here, the fairy rings are here and the woods and magic is real. The people I know tend to rent out rooms to strange and wonderful people to try and make ends meet. The adults are kept very busy life an energy sucked out of them in the winter months. I think its on account of the extremely heavy clay the ground is made up off. It strangely alive and demands the energy of everyone that has lived on it but in return it frees their minds.

[@voidwalkerkanda6404]

Neil's stories always brings me something to think about, usually deeply, and this one really caught me to the point I didn't even realised I had tears and was thinking about my own childhood and now. Yeah, it hurts thinking about the past, to loose that piece we treasured so much and made us genuinely happy, but I guess that's life, we just need to look inside of us to find our child again.

[@DragouMC]

I never had a childhood but being homeless currently has opened my eyes and mind on the wonders of the world. I hope I still have the sparkles in my eyes when I’m old

[@zehndermenix213]

The only things of my childhood I remember is anger, fear, and mental/physical anguish. Nowadays the best I feel is contentment. It's sad to say I have a hard time understanding positive emotions. I can still smile, but all I feel from it is my facial muscles contracting.

[@coffintears5821]

Smiling doesn't mean your happy

[@thatrandomgamer6796]

This story actually kind of.....hurt. The more it goes on the harder it was to hear, honestly great story writing takes a lot to make someone feel something for words keep up the work👍

[@melissaquinn1463]

17:53 That and the part before hit pretty hard considering all I’ve been through. Kids themselves taught me since kindergarten that the world is cruel. And that people won’t be able to understand, no matter how hard you try. I don’t resent it though, not fully at least, for all the ways that experience harms me till this day. For I wouldn’t love creating as much as I do without it. Each character has a part of me, each one is their own person that I just chronicle, each world, each town is unique and alive in its own way, each Deity and Demi-god fulfills their duties and wishes with steady hand and hearts content. It’s fun to watch it all, even if it’s not fully real

[@noticeme2170]

I went through some severe trauma and it was treated as tho as if my trauma was joke They’d bring it up for laugh and all the while Im sitting there uncomfortable It took ages for my mom to admit what she did and how much she failed me My dad hasn’t admitted it “Some people are born with tears in their eyes and some don’t stop” (not my quote) Mine haven’t stopped in years I have no tears yet I continue to cry and wake up thinking I’m child again….

[@SomeTimesIdropKickBabies]

When I saw the thumb nail I thought of a white bunny plush I had that my dad and I forgot on a plane and they wouldn’t give it back and a year later (when I was 4) I found out how important it was as it had a recording of my dead grandmother singing to me when you pressed it stomach it would sing and part that’s worst for me is the last thing she said to my mother ‘what should I buy Lauren for her birthday?’ 3 days before my 1st birthday she would die of heart disease.

[@kellikay100]

This guy is really good at storytelling. I think he deserves a little bit more love

[@Tyrant_Boi]

i dont want my childhood to die. EDIT: the thumbnail is making me cry. i wont forget my snuffy.

[@Terrifyger]

Something about this story got me to feeling incredibly sentimental. I turned 26 this year and have never felt like I've grown up. Parts of me have matured, but most of me still feels stuck at around 7 years old. I always assumed that it was because of my autism, but now I'm not so sure anymore. I've had that carefree side of me for many, many years, but after my body physically underwent irriversable changes (mainly with my eyes), I lost that carefree side. Now, I worry about things so much more. Whether it's about how parts of my body will worsen with time, or how I grow closer and closer to needing to be independent as I age, I feel so much of a burden on my shoulders, all the time. Being independent is something that my brain isn't suited to handle. I'm taught how to do it, but whenever it comes to actually _trying_ it, my mind spirals into a panic and I can't make it stop. It panics about me not being able to succeed, how being grown-up is such a monumental task to someone like me, how I always need help with the business side of life (paying bills, doing taxes, finding a job, etc.), and how I can't handle being alone and being self-sustaining. It's only once I pull back and tap into that childlike part of me that I can calm myself down and stop feeling that existential dread. And something about this video - the story coupled with the narration - brought me to full-on sobbing in an instant, towards the 17-minute mark. I don't know what specifically brought it on, or why it happened so suddenly, but I do know that I'm an extremely emotional person by nature, so I'm guessing it touched that part of my heart that's particularly vulnerable to the concept of growing up. Something that I not only don't want to do, but something that I _can't_ fully do either, but I'll need to eventually deal with the world without my parents and there's nothing I can do about it. Even now, as I type this comment, I'm still trying to recover from how emotional I suddenly felt, still struggling to get myself to stop crying. I've seen people saying in this comment section how the quote of "you don't pass or fail at being a person" made them tear up. For me, in my emotional state, I feel as though that quote full-on broke me. I seriously need a hug right about now. I really don't know where I'm going with this comment. I'm just emotional, and in tears, and I wanted to just type everything that I'm feeling in this moment. I'm really sorry if it bored you.

[@walterfechter8080]

As a kid, the worst kind of trauma is the coming to the realisation that you cannot change certain facets of life - such as being forced to go to a school that you dislike or the loss of a loved one

[@RBTD-bn6us]

Forget the whole "being a child is hard" thing. Never being able to reunite with the person who was a huge figure in your life, especially if that person SAVED YOUR LIFE, hurts more than being reminded that childhood isn't what people make it out to be. If I were him, I would do ANYTHING just to see her alive and well, even if it was just for a day.

[@hectorplay8199]

I find it fascinatingly strange how humans love childhood trauma stories so much. This type of stories has not only remained recurrent for decades, but it has also done so with a very high quality that other type of stories like superheroes or sci-fi don't usually manage to maintain for so long.

[@kimicappiello5480]

Saw the title, but I think I am going to pass on this one... I don't feel like spending my day anymore depressed than I currently am. My insurance covers therapists, but probably not the best in-patient psych ward selection... but I do love your other stuff.❤

[@bigbluecrayon]

I really do hope things get better for you. Internalizing the thought that it all gets better has helped me out, even if sometimes it feels untrue. I hope you feel better through it all though. ❤️

[@kimicappiello5480]

@Big blue Crayon thank you ❤

[@ogenevieve]

This is the first time I've listened to one of your stories. I adore the cartoons, I took many screenshots of them. I am sorry for the loss of your childhood as I didn't know one either. To all of the adult children who read this, it's never to late. 💜🙏

[@silentimage5196]

Discovering Neil Gaiman's writing is one of my favourite childhood memories.

[@LittleOtto]

I'm still young but when I grow up I miss my childhood I'll remember the happy ones 🥺

[@1003JustinLaw]

It's so weird, I've suffered so much trauma in my life by this point that memories of my childhood feels not like memories of myself anymore, instead it's like looking through a screen, a movie depicting someone else's life. It's been over 15 years since I've last genuinely felt "happy" that I don't even remember what happiness feels like anymore. Depressing, isn't it.

[@JRMilward]

I read this book in one sitting several years ago. Oddly, I don't remember anything about the story at all, not even after watching this video. The entire experience of reading the story felt like a dream. A feverish, fleeting dream. Gaiman has the ability to enchant his readers, in a very literal sense, and all I remembered was a vague, disturbed sensation after turning the last page. It is such a strange, beautiful, liminal book.

[@mythogenesis4788]

The part about no one remembering the traumatic events the boy experienced really struck me. The parents neglected their son, the sister disbelieved his painful nightmares, the father cheated on his mother and stood by while his mistress abused his son, the father also attempted to drown him- but no one remembers. There’s a saying, “The ax forgets, but the tree remembers.” What may be traumatic for the child is just another Tuesday for the people that enacted it.

[@chrishall5570]

The idea of adults not really being a thing is something that I found more comfort in then I thought I would. While I've been a legal adult for awhile now I'm currently in my last semester of college and while college gives you all of the freedom of being an adult it also means I don't have a lot of the responsibilities of being an adult. Even though I'm about to take the final plunge of "Adulthood" it doesn't feel like a phase of my life is about to end or another one about to start so much as just another day. I'm excited to be out of college but there's still this feeling of what comes after that. Will I get married, do I want to get married? Have kids? Will I just go day by day until I'm eventually retired and or dead? I'm excited to start making my own money and own a home but its also feels strange to lose the structure that I've lived in for the large majority of my life. The idea that even if I'm not in school anymore but out in the world but I'm still at the end just surrounded by people trying to find their way and get by is comforting....... and a little concerning since some of these people we rely on to run our government but that's a whole other spiral lol.

[@ParanormalTheology]

I haven't even watched the whole video yet but for some reason, seeing that thumbnail breaks my heart to the point that I am in tears as I write this and I can't put my finger on why.

[@Justjustinp]

I was not expecting a KZbin video giving an overview of a story to make me cry. Thank you for covering this.

[@christopherandresen9790]

There was so much in the story that struck on a realistic level that I nearly cried...

[@darrenalmgren634]

I read (or rather listened to the audiobook) not too long ago. But even though I love Gaiman as a person and writer and love several of his works, I just couldn’t get into it enough to appreciate it. It’s videos like this and by other creators like Breadsword and Sideways that helps me better understand things I have a passing affinity towards and grow to really liking them. Thanks

[@GwenTennyson58494]

I'm 9 years old so this is a great message I really like it

[@Cyadox]

I’ve only recently read this book after watching Good Omens, and wanting to find more of the author’s work. I am quite glad that you are reviewing it, as I love watching and listening to your videos. Thank you

[@deniseseminoff6847]

I'm in college and I still feel like a kid sometimes. For example, I get excited for Halloween (my favorite holiday) and still have plushies in my room. 😊

[@robchristian2427]

Going through an incredibly traumatic experience currently, I needed this video and story. Thank you

[@twiztidyournutz]

❤

[@DpDepresso]

As a kid much like a lot of people commenting I went though a lot of stuff. I had to mature fast as not to inconvenience my family. It really struck me that I had never really got to be a kid, when I'm soon to turn 18. I won't have an excuse anymore. I'd have to be serious and be stressed all the time. While I'm still struggling to actually live out what I'm going to say, I find it pretty true. Being a child is the best thing ever. To give it up and become a slave to stress and anxiety is giving up your soul. Imagination and child like wonder is what keeps one young. No matter how little you felt you could indulge in it then, it's never too late to now. How can you call yourself an adult if there was never a child to build off of? You can't build a tower without a foundation. Your inner child is always there. Despite the stress of the world there's still a child in you. When you realize that, life becomes more than being mature and setting an example for those around you. It becomes enjoying yourself, and being a smile amongst the dead pans. Anyways, I think I'll never grow up. I have so much time to.

[@KePzez]

Childhood is the time in our lives where reality is quite simple, beautiful and mesmerizing. A time where there is so much to see yet so little since being a child means being fragile. A time where the simplicity of it all lets us live in bliss and ignorance. Our time in our cradle varies from person to person and for me personally, I spent my time as a child locking myself away from the sun not because there is nothing for me out there but simply because I don't know how to act outside, I was smart yet so stupid during those formative years and to be honest I still am, the only difference being that I am now armed with knowledge and experience to act like an adult.

[@Lincoln.940]

I needed to listen to this today. I’m always thinking I’m failing as a mum in a world of perfectionism. But actually as long as they are safe and loved that’s all that matters. Thank you

[@semi_enigma]

I literally paused this video and bought the audiobook, listened to it, and came back. It was very good and I loved it. I like the Hemstocks they are mysterious and wonderful and terrifying.

[@Alice-mv9pj]

I always felt like an adult, being and acting like a child wasn't allowed by my abusive parents, they even gave out to me for playing. With my grandpa it was different though... I could be a child, I was happy when I went to visit him, he played with me, told me stories, spent time with me. I could see the world through the eyes of what I was, a child, while I was with him. His dead was the most painful thing for me...

[@TheTaleFoundry]

CAMPFIRE ➤ bit.ly/TF1-22 Big thanks to everyone who checks out our Campfire link! It's a huge help to us, and a great way to support the channel! If you want to see Talebot’s articles, check them out here! t.co/NlENsqflYw

[@Old_Jack_Ketch]

“The truth is, there are no grownups. Not in the whole wide world”. Jesus, that punched me right in the feels 😢

[@fenixmeaney6170]

Man, when I was hearing that intro about this being a story about my childhood, I was like "good luck, I got so much trauma I can't even remember my childhood" and BOY did this story deliver! I just got sniped.

[@haxozr]

My mama remembers her childhood, and that’s whats so special about her. She is the best mama I could ever have. No one could be better.

[@BluewolfR]

okay fresh cut grass. i love you too. we all need a wonderland or an ocean to feel like this world can be bearable. you've made me feel comfortable knowing that its okay to have or want to believe anything especially when it doesn't harm or affect anyone else. thank you for the story, this is definitely one that deserves to be read like "le pettite prince"

[@dragondude7107]

very few stories can make me cry, this is one of them

[@bethanyhaffey975]

This story was sad, frightening and beautiful at the same time. It made me want to cry and yet at the same time It made me feel..... I can't describe it.

[@suburbanvibes3466]

I watched your video about the rabbit story and regretted not reading it myself. So when you said the title of this I read it myself and I cannot thank you enough for bringing this to my attention.

[@raggedtek6387]

This story genuinely brought a tear to my eye

[@tiffanycerasoli3540]

This is beautiful. Of course Neil has a way of putting things in words that we’ve never said out loud but we’re stamped in our hearts. But your review and summation were equally lovely. Thank you. Brought a tear to my eye

[@meilleure6970]

Listening to the story line broke me down to tears, for some reason it resonates a lot

[@thatonenotmentallyillmf3199]

I cant really remember much of my childhood,but one thing I can familiarize with it is indoor water parks. It was warm,it felt safe,it smelled like clean,and it was calm. I remember very small fragments of some water parks I was at.

[@UnravelingThreads]

Beautiful, beautiful book. One of my absolute favorites and it's a welcomed surprise to see you talk about it!

[@vermiciousknid2456]

I've never been much of a social person even as a child. I was homeschooled most from fifth grade and when I was in school I'm not sure I had any friends. There were some kid's I was friendly with but mostly I kept to myself. Sometimes I think if I stayed in school or spent more time around other people growing up I wouldn't feel so glum so much.

[@ayaehab]

and I cried again. I cried when I read it once, it's a beautiful book.

[@badwolficreatemyself7669]

I was bullied as a young child at age 11 to be exact, so due to that I grew up too quickly and learned about suicidal thoughts much quicker then I think anyone would like for a child at that age. Something that gives me nostalgia is the show Tom and Jerry, before we moved to Wisconsin and before that nightmare of public schools began I would always sit next to my dad every Saturday morning and watch Tom and Jerry with him. The feel of the old couch and the closeness of my father brings back feelings of warmth and love. It makes me miss him a lot as of writing this and remembering a time when I used to be carefree, before I was told I was fat too many times where now I hate even the thought of wearing shorts, before I was told I was ugly too many times where now I get jealous too easily because it feels like I have to compete in order to prove the bullies wrong from a far off time, before a girl I thought was my friend turned against me and bullied me alongside the boy who already was to the point where now I have trust issues with people, before I was afraid of the outside world at an age I never thought I would be when it happened. I have other places that bring me nostalgia, mostly from before we moved here such as, an old pizza place that had the best dessert pizza you could ever imagine, and a tree that I planted when I was about 5 or 6 years old that is actually still strong today. But nothing will compare to those moments I spent sitting on the couch next to my father watching Tom and Jerry while the world passed around me. Keep the nostalgia my friends, this world is much too cruel to us as dreamers, lovers, and writers for us not to hold onto a small part of our younger selves at the end of a long day ❤

[@von0312]

this animation and story feels a lot like a series of unfortunate events! great job, this must've taken a lot of work.

[@Unresolvedissues101]

When i was young i had a nightmare about being a knight then getting stabbed in the heart by a witch

[@commit2mission]

I don't normally read, but I think this story would be the one to finally get me nose-deep into books. This video genuinely excited me, and I'm so glad I found this channel.

[@Girlsonice]

Recently finished this book, it is honestly the best book I’ve ever read. Emotional, page turning story which really pulled me in and made me feel like I was actually there. Incredible.

[@JustNierninwa]

I don't understand why I cried so much at this video but I sure did.

[@biddabing9860]

I believe that as children we were shapeless and full of potential we could be whatever we wanted to be; but as we aged we took form and became concrete solid people that are defined. We can no longer play all day because we have other priorities and burdens we give ourselves.