Wednesday 17 November 2010

When I grow up/Oh to be a kid again

As a child, my friends and I longed to be grown up. We wanted to be able to make our own decisions, eat dessert before dinner, and choose when to clean our bedrooms based on when WE thought it needed doing (read: never) rather than when those pesky parents did.

As a (granted, young) adult, I hear many other adults, my age and older, who long to be kids again. They dream of the days when problems were solved for them, "money problems" meant not enough allowance, and when they really, truly thought they could grow up to be anything they wanted.

We idealise both. You couldn't pay me to be a kid again! I do NOT want to go back to someone else watching my every move and deciding what the "right" choices for me are. I don't want to depend on someone else's approval for every step I take. On the other hand, being an adult seems to come with a lot of bills and fewer freedoms than I had imagined as a child.

And so, to sort of even things out, I make a point of doing certain things periodically Just Because I Can. Occasionally, I have dessert instead of dinner. I have two wonderful cats because I wanted to, not because it was the most responsible choice. Sure, I pay my bills, vacuum regularly, and am always on time for work.

But sometimes? Sometimes I do silly things, just because I can.

1 comment:

  1. I think this is a very wise assessment of adulthood and i applaud your efforts to embrace "just because." Now, why don't you drive yourself down to Portland "just because"...

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