Embracing Wonder
There’s something sacred about being cheesy sometimes. Like leaning into Disney magic with your kid, or genuinely marveling at a LEGO dragon someone spent hours building. We’ve trained ourselves to sweep these moments under the rug, convinced that sophistication means cool detachment, staying untouched by emotion because “we know how that works.”
I used to be one of those people who rolled their eyes at tourists. The ones taking selfies at every landmark, getting excited about things that felt obvious to me. There was this smug satisfaction in being the local, the insider, the person who knew better.
Life as a dad has contributed to growth in that regard, part of an overall shift toward self-awareness and trying to be less cynical, more appreciative. Watching my daughter’s face light up at a street performer or get genuinely excited about watching Laurel and Hardy the first time reminded me what I’d lost. Her wonder isn’t performed or Instagram-ready. It’s just pure reaction to experiencing something new.
Now when I see tourists getting excited about my city, I try to remember that feeling. The anticipation of planning a trip somewhere new. The thrill of finally seeing something you’ve only read about. The joy of discovery, even if it’s something millions of people have discovered before you. I’m not talking about the tourists who show up with zero curiosity about local culture, who make no effort to understand where they are or how to respectfully engage with it. That’s different. That’s entitlement masquerading as exploration.
But the ones who are genuinely excited to be somewhere new? The ones taking pictures because they want to remember the moment? There’s something beautiful about that openness. They’re brave enough to be enthusiastic without worrying about looking foolish.
Maybe wonder isn’t naive. Maybe it’s one of the most courageous things we can choose. In a world that rewards cynicism and cool detachment, getting excited about something simple is almost radical. I’m trying to pass that ideology on to my daughter, to give her a head start on the appreciation I’m still learning myself. She doesn’t know she’s supposed to be embarrassed by her excitement yet. I hope she never learns that lesson, and I’m working to unlearn it myself, one cheesy moment at a time.