The Child Inside

I have always been accused of not taking things seriously when others feel it’s warranted. This has been an issue for others ever since I can remember. I would often get in trouble in school for making a joking comment in the middle of a class or clowning around in the back of the room. I would usually get let off the hook by teachers who knew that I meant no harm and it was just something to help me get through the day

As I was growing up I felt I was on par maturity wise with people my own age. Getting older though, that has most certainly changed. It seems that the older my age group got the bigger the gap became between them and I. I like to refer to it as the “stick in the ass syndrome”. It seems that after a great many of us lost touch with each other I continued along my toys r us ways and many others had a huge pole inserted into their ass. They became our parents. The way they speak and act has me convinced that I missed the boat on this one. So many of my old school mates actually have accents now that have nothing to do with where we grew up. They speak as if their names were Buffy and Thad.

Priorities seem to be the biggest difference between them and I. Many of them do nothing but work and attend dinners and conventions that show them how to work even harder and earn even more. Me? I work in a grocery store and spend my free time looking for things to laugh at. Don’t get me wrong, I take a great deal of life very seriously, I just look for things to soften the blows. It’s like the old saying, “If I wasn’t laughing, I’d be crying”. I am so bothered by the things I see and do in daily life that if I didn’t find things to laugh about I’d probably have to be committed.

I have been accused of being incredibly immature and I’m ok with that. It’s this child inside that lets me get through each and every day. I think that what happens, as we grow older, we lose that child. I, for one, have never been able to shake him. Truth be told, I hope I never do. It’s this child that allows me to have, what I consider, a great sense of humor. It’s this sense of humor that, in part, is what makes most of you want to still be in touch with me. It’s like I’m still a little kid sometimes and it’s always fun to get a youngsters outlook on things.

I hope you all enjoy that outlook enough to never allow that stick to completely impale your lives. I know that I am on one end of the spectrum but my hope is that you all find that mid point. If not, and you’re way over on the other side, go to the local park by yourself and get on the swing. Start swinging and just think. I used to do my best thinking on the swing. There was a time that this was all I needed to be content. Once in awhile it’s good to just be content.