So I have a strange dislike being referred to as an adult. I've been trying to figure out what about the word or concept rubs me the wrong way, and I think I've come up with an answer - I don't like to associate myself with what I think an adult is.
My personality, demeanor, and humor is all still quite childish. This is something which I never want to lose as I age. I act like a little kid more often than not - bickering nonsensically, running around like a kid on a sugar high, participating in child-like, meaningless competitions, etc. Yet, at age 22, I pay my own rent and bills, hold a steady job, and am advancing in my career field. I've come to the decision that I never wish to lose certain aspects of my childhood. These things include my love for video games, and games in general, staying active (sports, etc.), learning, a sense of childish/bitter sarcasm, fighting with others over trivial matters, and laughing at stupid and inappropriate humor.
With age, comes responsibility. There's no avoiding that. It comes in the form of financial needs and longing for independence and stability. It comes with managing your career, education, relationships, and social life. It comes with making and keeping promises to others and to yourself. Yet I hold the belief that too much work and little to no play will create an unhealthy and unbalanced lifestyle, which may have dire consequences in the end.
I can be mature when I need to, but if the need isn't there, don't be offended if I act like a 5 year old :) Thus, I leave you with this entry in Paulo Coelho's Warrior of the Light:
The Warrior of the Light behaves like a child.
People are shocked; they have forgotten that a child needs to have fun and to play, to be slightly irreverent and to ask awkward, childish questions, to talk nonsense that not even he believes in.
And they say, horrified: "So this is the spiritual path, is it? He's so immature!"
The Warrior feels proud of such comments. And he remains in touch with God through his innocence and his joy, without ever losing sight of his mission.
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You are not wrong. I guess I'm more interested in changing the connotations around the word adult than shunning it altogether.
ReplyDeleteI'm writing my senior paper on the manipulation of language for purposes of control, so I've been preoccupied with these things lately.
--SDM
A friend of mine posted this on her blog:
ReplyDelete"And on a more interesting note, something to ponder: the difference between grownups, ADults, and adULTS. Grownups are people pretending to be adults. AdULTS are normal people of working age. And ADults are people who take the rank they gained from age entirely too seriously."
As far as I'm concerned, maturity is important, but not a constant condition of adult life. It should be a resource or a tool: you can call upon it when you need it, or when it's appropriate and important, but it doesn't have to define you.