Oh, to be young again. That seems to be the mantra of the day. People hearken back to their childhoods and wish they could have it all back. Why? "It was an easier, simpler time." Oh, really? What planet are those people from?
All that some see is a state of play, completely carefree of all the burdens of the real world. They themselves, on a deep down level, want to frolic and join in the fun. What a great stress reliever! "But I'm just too old." Oh, really?
Have you ever seen children cry? There's a reason for that. Sure, kids don't have to worry about taxes, mortgages, insurance, and so on. But they have their own burdens to deal with, ones that their limited life experience barely has them prepared for. I remember how hard it often was as a child to fit in, memorize at school, obey rules, mind the grown-ups, and live in a world that I felt so helpless in. Most of my decisions were made for me and I had little or no choice in the matter. Sure, it's not a car payment or 9 to 5 job. But in a relative sense, there's not much difference.
And yes, play is a huge stress reliever. It's what humans are built for! It's how we first learn. It's how we explore and discover. We have our humanity trained out of us at such an early age. And why? To "grow up". To be more mature. That's right. We shoulder larger amounts of stress and stop keeping in shape the way we are intended to in order to trick others and ourselves into believing it's the grownup thing to do.
But what is maturity really? There are several things that make up one's maturity. Among them are the ability to put aside pleasure for necessity, to put others above one's self, to adapt to situations, to exercise patience, and to do what is best for one's self. That means doing what is best for your psychological health and physical fitness.
Think about the concept of avoiding what is best for your own being because it's "undignified" for someone your age. Now compare it to the concept of one child avoiding another child who "has cooties". It's the same thing! The only difference is in the details. To live one's life based on the fantasy of societal dogma is well within the realm of infantile behavior, and serves as a horrible example to younger generations.
To play is mature. To deny play is childish.
Stop wishing you were younger and start having fun! Splash in puddles. Swing on monkey bars. When you rake the leaves, do it twice. The first time you make a pile, jump in. When you shovel the driveway, use the shoveled snow to make a fort. Then make snow angels. Stop worrying about what the world will think and start playing.
If others don't like it, tell them to grow up.
And in conclusion ...
TAG! You're it! Nyah nyah nyahnyah nyah!! *PPPPBBBBTTTTT!!!!!*
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