Lesson Eight

Do you know what sucks?
Growing up.
Yeah.
I said it.
GROWING UP SUCKS.
I never agreed to do it and I don’t like that it’s presumed that I would or will.
I’m well aware that as a petite, 5ft, baby-faced adult, I don’t look grown up, but due to my age, some people seem to think that I should be.

You see, there’s a thing called Peter Pan Syndrome… and I have it.
Unashamedly.
Proudly.
I am a kid in a small adult’s body!
… That sounds wrong… but you know what I mean!

I am turning 31 in under a month’s time.
This number does not concern me.
Getting older actually excites me!
It thrills me!
Think of all the new things to experience!
All the adventures in store!
And I feel like I have improved with age.
Although some of you may have other opinions, I’m sure…
But, to my mind, I have matured…
I have grown – yeah, yeah, not physically perhaps, but otherwise –
And I have changed… evolved… learned…

So what’s my problem with “growing up” if I don’t have a problem with “ageing”?
GREAT QUESTION, YOU GUYS!
My problem is the presumption that ageing = growing up.
And, in turn, that growing up = getting boring.
I never want my life to become boring.

In Lesson Six I began the discussion of my life in relation to the men-folk.
A well known fact about me is that I generally prefer my boys older.
A number of years older.
There are no doubt some deeply-rooted (pun intended..?) psychological reasons for this, none of which I feel the need to share with you, my lovely readers, but the fact is as it is.
Some would claim that this age-gap means I’m into men rather than boys.
However, I would claim that I have yet to date (or be attracted to) an older fella who isn’t still a boy.
You with me?
Keeping up?
I’ve dated 40-something-year old BOYS.
And I mean that with no offence intended… I mean it with the greatest affection for said males!
There’s got to be, for all his salt and pepper shaded hairs, his slightly wrinkled skin and his worldly wisdoms, an element of immaturity and sense of play… or I am not interested!

Which leads me to…

What constitutes “growing up”?
And does it matter?
And MUST we all grow up?

It is a matter of semantics – I grant you that.
Who cares if you are a grown up?!
Who cares if you act like one?!
Is there a difference in the attitude of my single-lifestyle-leading 31 year old self and that of my five-year-married, parent-of-three 31 year old friends?

But the point of the lesson is this:
(Yes, I think I do have one… Somewhere…)
Growing up is BAD!
Well, I guess what I mean is…
Don’t let your imagination dim!
I’m not saying that we should all pretend that we haven’t a care in the world all day every day and forget any responsibilities that we may have, I’m merely suggesting that we need to lighten up a little!

Some people are more serious by nature. I realise that.
Some people are (in the words of dear Mama Ruthy) “just plain eccentric” – I get that too.
But surely, surely, surely we can all let things go and find the joy in simple things a little more? The way that kids do…
You know what I mean – we’ve all seen a toddler become completely engrossed in watching an ant make its way across the footpath…
Or discovering how they can bend and stretch and wiggle their own toes…
Or finding the comedy in a simple game of “peekaboo”!
… It’s magical!
And we too, even us old people, can find ways to play during our own day!
We can be silly and free and fun and STILL do the boring, mundane, inane things our days command.
Can’t we?
Shouldn’t we?
Mustn’t we?
Otherwise, what’s the point?!
Otherwise, I’m taking the second star to the right and then heading straight on ’til morning!
(Thanks for the directions, Peter and Tink!)
I guess what I mean is…
Let’s all age but let’s not grow up…
Let’s stay kids at heart – where it matters.
Forever!
Let’s have the fun that kids have!
NOW!
While we can!

Look at it this way…
You’re just a full-sized (no matter how full that size may be) kid.
You have the rights to drink and drive (not together) and smoke (although I don’t advise it) and sex and vote and all the adult things, sure.
But you also have the right to think freely and live imaginatively.

And, most importantly of all,
We all have the right to…
EAT FAIRY BREAD!

And, in a world where fairy bread is freely accessible, WHY would you ever grow up???

#yourewelcome
#askrabbitash
#fairybreadismyfavouritefood
#peterpansyndromeforlife
#stillwaitingonmyjewishhusband

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