artporn

Damn this is a good one. It captures such specific emotions.

The child has sadness and worry in his eyes but is outwardly happy, perhaps hopeful for a better future. The hope and worry are gone in the adult, but the sadness persists. Now it's a tired, worn-down sadness. The possibilities that existed in youth have converged into a simple, predictable future. Get up, get ready for work, go to work, come home, unwind from work, go to sleep, repeat until death.

Maybe this is one the futures the child had hoped for, a life with stability and predictability. That's what he studied and worked for, it's better than many people have. But now that he's on this path with nothing to look forward to but the rest of his life, he'd rather look back on a time that had more hope and possibility.