Most people look back on their childhood with fond memories. It was a time when the stresses of the world didn't hang on your shoulders; relationships were only as complicated as a kiss on the cheek and the subsequent flee in embarrassment, and you had your entire life ahead of you. Mum and dad always knew best (they didn't though), and hair on your chest was nothing more than a faraway dream. Then puberty struck and your life was turned upside down. That kiss on the cheek turned into an awkward fumble while the folks were away, and the constant nagging to get a job, get a degree; get a life rings monotonously in your ears. During a midlife crisis, you may want to revisit your former glory days; finger-painting in nursery school and playing Mario 64 until a migraine sets in. Sometimes a person just needs to step back and realise what was most enjoyable in life; to remember a time without rent or bills or hangovers. A time where magic was real and the idea of a tooth-fairy had you considering pulling out your own teeth for the spare change in your mum's purse. But then, for a number of reasons, the illusion came crashing down. Your mind was freed from the matrix that was your childhood and your eyes were opened to the harsh climate of reality - all because you realised the Easter Bunny wasn't the one who hid your chocolate eggs around the house. We present those heartbreaking moments when you discover that time has caught up with you, and you can no longer have your immature idealism.
