Growing Pains...

Since when did being a grown-up become so important?? Become the shining star that everyone reaches for…? Because what does being a grown-up bring you?

 

Once upon a time, it was known that childhood was the “time of your life” … Being a child was cherished, and the adults indulged that childhood the kids around them had, ensuring that they had fun, they played, and were only to learn about responsibilities – not really be assumed to have adult-type responsibilities, understanding or knowledge. Now such things are virtually forced on children … virtually. TV, internet, advertising, products – all consumer markets are now all directed at children, and they target the most vulnerable species to hard-hitting, suggestible, colourful, demanding campaigns, bombarding their young, inexperienced eyes and minds. Once upon a time computers were for businesses and adults… now all computer-related stuff are aimed at kids. Have you tried finding a more “grown-up” game for your Xbox/DS/PS3/PSP? Or do you find they’re either for men who still think they’re boys, or for just kids? I enjoy gaming, but I don’t want to play “Nintendogs” … If I want a dog, I’m more than capable of bloody getting one, paying for it and looking after it … Coz I’m a GROWN-UP!! Kids can’t such a thing, so they have Nintendogs. Can you find anything remotely more taxing than that…? Only if you look really hard!

 

There are so many people who think being a grown-up is the ultimate requirement in life – and to be one you have to live up to some sort of standard of lifestyle:

 

Have (or at least be shopping for) a mortgage, have (or at least be wanting /trying for) kids, be married (or at least civil-partnershipped, for those with slightly more open-minds), go on posh holidays to posh, grown-up places (Marrakech, as opposed to Majorca), and have a “posh” job that is well-paid – that whole “get paid your age” palaver. .. if only!!!

 

“You don't stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing.
  - Michael Pritchard ”

 

This is not just the problem with grown-ups who do this… nowadays it’s the kids who are guilty of this very thing too. Kids don’t just play anymore – there’s no imagination involved in online gaming, spending hours on a Nintendo DS-XL (no matter how many colours it comes in), or staring at the telly watching Nick Jr or CBBC … I used to run around, play My Little Pony in my head, outside, on my own, with my imagination. Or fly imaginary kites with my Dad. Or play board games with other people. Now, the only way kids see each other is either in school (if they actually go), or in gangs. Otherwise, it’s “chatting” online chat on Social Networking Site, IM and Xbox Live.

 

Kids don’t seem to play anymore, or do make-believe … They’re constantly attached to something electronic, and have more state-of-the-art gadgets than the average adult. At the bus stop I saw one school child with a BlackBerry! … What the hell on earth does someone who isn’t even old enough to study for GCSEs need with a mini-computer??! Do they work from home, requiring immediate access to business modules, PowerPoint, and Word docs? … Uuummmm …. No! They barely need anything that does anything other than ring, send texts, and perhaps is capable of leaving an update on Facebook. Why on earth they would need a state-of-the-art QWERTY-keyboard Smartphone (can they even type??!) that is mainly used for businesses and costs about as much as my half of the rent (plus bills)? …

 

In other words, WHY are they trying to be mini-adults? You know the second the hit 25 they’re desperate to be kids … I would add “again”, but I don’t think that in today’s age they actually are kids when they’re younger. In today’s era, youth really is wasted on the young. Because when you really are older, you realise what you missed out on and can now never get back.

 

Instead, they turn into either even more “mature” adults, who only talk about life insurance, mortgages, pensions, and what school to send the kids … or they turn into over-tall children – running away from any kind of responsibility, over-spending their money on trinkets and gadgets, not paying bills, getting into debt, not turning up for work because they don’t feel like it … doing nothing but playing games and chattering on Twitter.

 

Somewhere, there should be a medium … where we can still play, laugh and have fun and not take things too seriously. Instead, just learn to take things that really don’t need stressing over with a pinch of salt and just getting it out of the way, and only give the serious stressing attention when it really needs it – like if you or a loved one is diagnosed with an awful illness … not if the newsagent stops selling your favourite magazine, or your mortgage rate has gone up. When you have choices, use those choices wisely, with the experience you now have as an adult (that you obviously didn’t have before). When you don’t have one, and just have to grit your teeth and deal with it, do it with your head held high and with confidence that you can deal with it. Then smile and find something that will make you laugh again. Because, like Michael Pritchard said…

 

“You don't stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing.
  - Michael Pritchard ”