Have you ever noticed now that you are grown, you want quiet. I remember grown folks always wanted it quiet. Why? Because all noise making was done in their youth. Being an adult means you are finally old enough to slow down and relax, you know, take it easy. Nice and simple, right?
I remember adults telling me to enjoy my youth because things as an adult are a lot harder. Well, now I am an adult and I submit to you that those adults couldn't have been more wrong! It may have even been a plot by adults to trick kids… (I definitely need to use that on my son!) Things are way easier now as an adult than when I was a kid. There's not a whole lot to do now. Everything is pretty much done. Think about it. I don't have to eat vegetables, I don't have to sit up straight or clean my room. All that stuff was taken care of by the third grade.
When you were a kid you were required to do so much stuff just to make it to adulthood. You had to learn to talk, walk, and share. You had to learn to communicate your ideas to others. You had to learn how to organize your time and complete assignments in a timely manner. You had to learn to stay inside the lines, not run in the halls, and not to throw the gravel the adults carelessly strewn about the playground. You had to learn to respect authority. You had to learn how to talk to the opposite sex. Doing algebra and learning what mitochondria is was also part of what you had to do. Then by the time you were ready to graduate high school they started telling you needed to learn how to be adults because in college you are not a kid anymore (even though you are still allowed to run home to mommy when in trouble). Through out all that you had to figure in good citizenship. That is a lot of stuff to learn and do.
Now, when you become an adult there's not that much to do. You are not required to do anything really. You don't have to really learn anything. You don't have to work, at least not hard anyway. The government has it set up that it will automatically take taxes out of your paycheck so you really don't have to do that. You don't have to be nice to anyone. You can actually get by through life without being nice or cordial or pleasant to anybody. If you keep to yourself and mind your own business you are set. Nobody is going to tell you that you have to learn how to be a senior citizen. Many of us don't make it anyway. Life is easy as an adult. Sure we stress about many things, but most of that stress is stress we bring on ourselves. The only thing we have to do is die. And if scientists have their way I don't even think that will be a requirement. Great! That's more time we can spend as adults doing nothing.
But, to be honest I remember the tougher days of my youth. Yes, things were harder. There was much to do, but it was fun. Why aren't things as fun anymore? Where has that zest for life gone? Has the mundane day to day life of going to work for someone who only sees me as a number, a mere asset, or something that can be cut if it means it will boost the profit margin for next quarter finally won? I suppose it has. It actually always has been. Yes, I remember the tougher days of my youth. When "Go outside and play" was the only option. If you got thirsty the hose was there. I know some of you remember those days.
Some of you are sitting there saying I’m crazy. Some of you are probably wishing you were six again. I wonder is that wishing you were six with what you know now or just plain six? If you went back to being just plain six, you would more than likely do things exactly the same way you did the first time. You are still the same person after all. If you went back to being six knowing what you know now, you would definitely do things different. Plus, you would be the weirdest six-year old ever, a freak by most standards. I can barely wrap my head around that idea. People’s first impression of you is that they might mistake you for a genius. (Wouldn't that be nice? I know it's for some of you to draw that reference, work with me!) But, I say that if you aren’t considered a genius now, you will not be considered one if you were to go back. Come on, you only know so much. Really smart people would figure it out anyway. Would you really want to sit through school again knowing what you know now? I think I would be using my knowledge to try and get out of going to school period. Who wants to sit through school lunch especially on Mystery Meat Mondays? Who wants to sit through story problems in math class again? Who wants to read Emerson and write term papers? I didn’t want to do it then. Heck, I don’t want to do it now. So, going back with what I know now more than likely would cause more harm than good.
Besides, what would my parents think? Obviously, going back in time with what you know now your parents would have to deal with you all over again. I know some of your parents couldn’t wait to push you out of the nest when you turned 18 and graduated high school. Tell me if you remember your parents telling you this, “Your children will be just like you!” Hmm, what is that supposed to mean?
SIDEBAR: Did you ever wonder why you and parents probably don’t talk everyday? It’s like every couple of weeks or once a month, right? After 18 years of putting up with your mouth, 18 years of you already knowing more than them, you want to go back to six years old? I think if you did that you won’t see seven! Trust me, they don’t want to do it again.
Yes, in my opinion, being an adult is much easier than a child. There’s no overhead. You really don’t have to be accountable for what you know or don’t know.
So, all you adults who are sitting there day-dreaming about the good parts about being a kid be thankful you made it through the make-or-break days of youth. You can now go lay down and enjoy the quiet!
Vice
Today, I have decided I am going to sit down and plot out a definitive plan for getting myself moved out of this confounded apartment once and for all! Today, I feel as though the infamous straw has been laid on the camel's back! For those of you who don't already know, I live on the tenth floor of my building. What seems to be the norm in this place is only one of the two elevators working. On Friday they had an elevator repairman working on one elevator. He fixed it, but before he even left the parking lot of the building it broke again. It took him all day to come back and fix it. He did a wonderful job. Last night when I returned from a movie BOTH elevators were broke. Annoying as it is, ten flights is not a problem, very inconvenient, but not a problem for me. But, of course there are some in this building who can't handle that much cardiovascular exercise at one time. And they live on the floors above me! As I was saying, it is not a problem, unless I need to do something like haul groceries, or laundry, or coax my son up the stairs. And when you start adding up everything that goes wrong in this building it is enough to make you want to scream! Any given week, the hot water will quit working. That's so very wonderful, especially, in the morning before work as I am stepping into the shower. Then there is the gas. It has been out for a couple of days. When they so-called fixed it my oven now sticks out about 6 inches into my already small kitchen. There are odors that emanate on every floor, some of them are food, and some are garbage. Then there is the power. It's a crapshoot whether it will be on or not when I get home from work. I am sure that it goes off during the day sometimes for hours because I can't seem to keep milk good. The residents are partly to blame. Some really don't care what is going on. On my way up and down the stairs (yes, all ten flights) I discovered a half eaten bananas, a bowl of soup, and other things I won't mention. I don't get it. We have a trash chute on every floor, but it is not uncommon to find people's trash sitting in front of the chute. Come on people, how hard could this be. There was a box spring in the hallway for almost a week. The fire alarm goes off fairly often, too. Speaking of the fire alarm, Christmas Eve was wonderful! Twice the alarm went off. Only once did the fire department show up. I am not sure what the first alarm was for, as far as I could tell the fire was somewhere between the 2nd and 5th floor. The second alarm was on the tenth floor. There was so much smoke, but I guess the fire department didn't find it worth the trouble to come see about this one. This list could go on and on, but, I need to hike downstairs to get my laundry... But rest assured I am getting out of here! If any of you want to contribute to the "I need to get the heck outta here fund" let me know.
Vice
This is my first posting for 2004. I was going to be all cool and post on Jan 1 and tell you about my resolutions for this year. Well, as you can see, I didn't. That in itself should give you a good indication as to how my resolutions are going this year. But, all is not lost, we are only 10 days into 2004, I still have 355 days to make good on some of my resolutions.
My resolutions are really the run of the mill, pick from any hat resolutions. I am going to be better with my finances, communicate with family and friends better, relax more, etc. I am going to try and say what's on my mind more. I don't want a whole lot of baggage carrying over to 2005. Speaking of baggage...
How much do you appreciate your friends? Do your friends know you appreciate them? Do you even know who your friends are? Do you even know your friends? Are you a friend to somebody? I once thought I knew the answers to those questions. I think when I was in my teens I knew. I knew more about who I was then than I know who I am now. Um... yeah, I think that came out the way I meant it.
I have love for my friends. Nobody is perfect. I know I am not, so if at any time I have slighted any of those who are my friends, then I apologize.
But there have been a few people over the past few months who I believe have been there time and time again. This group of friends does include family members as well. Family is one thing, but friends, is a whole other animal. I just want to tell my friends, thanks, you know who you are. This is probably something I should have said last year, but I didn't... I just wanted to start off this year right.
Happy New Year and Good Luck!
Vice