No, this is my life experience. I am 62.

At the age of eleven, I read a collection of short SF stories by various authors called 'Tomorrow's Children', edited by Isaac Asimov. In the preface, Asimov wrote about how important it was to keep a childlike sense of wonder alive.

This hit me very strongly - even at that age, I realized that adults were trying to destroy any such thing in me, to make me fit in better, to make me a good worker, to make me as gray and boring as they were.

So, I made a vow to the universe - seriously, I really did - that no matter what I would always keep my childlike sense of wonder for the whole of my life. And I have kept that vow.

As I grew up, and grew old, I watched people of my age grow empty, and gray, and bitter, and hollow. I have seen my generation stop caring about anything good or decent or right in exchange for security, or power, or greed. I have seen them turn to wine and beer swilling pigs who shit on anyone younger or anything fun.

As for me - oh, my room is filled with video games and board games and awesome toys I could never afford when I was young. I draw and write and sculpt and paint miniatures. I read for pleasure and for fun. Science fiction, fantasy. I read stories out loud with one of my spouses (I live in a polyamory!) and we play and sing and have fun.

You have to grow old. But you don't have to grow up into a monster. You don't have to give up wonder, or joy, or anything just because society expects it. Fuck society. Fuck the gray, dead people of the world.

If somebody like me can keep their soul, so can you. Or anyone. You just have to choose to keep being amazed at stuff even if others think you are silly or weird because you can imagine worlds in raindrops, or marvel at the shape of a leaf, or enjoy comic books or tabletop RPGs or whatever.