“Adults are just obsolete children and the hell with them.”
Today is a pretty day. Out my window here by the desk, I can see the sun shining on the leaves of the giant oak tree, and the leaves shimmer each time even the slightest breeze moves them. Fern is sprawled on the rug in the sun where it streams through the front door. Grace is sitting on the deck watching the yard. Maddie is on the dining room table-her usual perch.
I have very little ambition. I do have one errand, but it will wait until later in the day. Gracie can come with me for the ride, and that will make her afternoon.
My favorite part of being a kid was having little or no responsibility. I had to go to school, and I had to do well but that last part was my compulsion, not my parents’ demand. They were casual about report cards. We kids were never planners. We’d decided in the moment what we wanted to do. List making was a long way in the future, except for those Christmas lists for Santa. I remember we’d say, “When I grow up,” not really understanding exactly what that meant. I just saw being grown-up as an ideal time when I could do whatever I wanted whenever I wanted.
What a shock I got when I did grow up. A job? I have to have a job? Car payments too? Rent, food, clothes-is there no end to the responsibilities of being a grown-up? Where’s the fun? Where’s doing what I want?
I did get to travel, but that grew out of my childhood dreams. Adulthood just gave me the means. Friday, the end of the work week, took Saturday’s place as my favorite day of the week. No more Saturday matinees: it was now chore day. Sunday was dump day and plan my lessons day. If I went out, it was usually Saturday night or maybe an occasional Friday happy hour, both literally and figuratively. I just compressed my adulthood into a single paragraph.
Now I am back to doing what I want when I want. Sometimes that means I want to do nothing. I’m figuring today is one of those days. I’m going to join Fern, Maddie and Gracie and just while away the day. I have a few books I’ve yet to read.
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This entry was posted on May 11, 2012 at 11:17 am and is filed under Musings. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments.
Tags: Adulthood, childhood, Friday, Gracie, lists, responsibilities, Saturday, work week
Both comments and pings are currently closed.20 Comments on ““Adults are just obsolete children and the hell with them.””
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keepthecoffeecoming.blog 
May 11, 2012 at 1:25 pm
It does sound nice, to do what ever I want when ever I want to 🙂 Well I haven’t checked the lottery yet so that might come true after all 🙂 But to be honest, I am doing most of what I want but when ever I can 🙂
I’ve always tried to do mu chores before the weekend. The weekends were for going to the cottage or to sail when I had my boat. I still do my chores during the week even if I really don’t have to any longer.
I get all the comments in Your blog in to my mailbox for a reason I just don’t know 🙂 🙂 🙂 It just started the other week and I’m totally sure I haven’t clicked on anything here 🙂 🙂 🙂 The internet works in mysterious ways 🙂 🙂 🙂
Have a great day!
Christer.
May 11, 2012 at 2:29 pm
I started getting a notification from WordPress asking if I wanted to receive the comments, so I think there might be a way to turn that option off. I figure I get enough email and it’s easier to read everything in context rather than piecemeal. I should get an email asking me if I want this option once I post this (that seems to be the trend). I’ll try to check and see and get back with an answer. Incidentally, this appears to be a fairly recent “improvement.”
May 11, 2012 at 5:21 pm
I got that too but I didn’t click on Confirm Follow. It was a bit misleading because you could assume that you wouldn’t be able to see your blogs if you didn’t confirm. I’m not getting comments anywhere yet. We’ll see.
May 11, 2012 at 5:23 pm
And I just noticed that the box to notify me of follow-up comments via email in the area below the comment box is already checked. You have to uncheck it before you post a comment because it disappears once you hit Post Comment.
May 11, 2012 at 5:36 pm
im6,
I always get the comments so I know what to answer. Now I’m getting two. I’ll opt out, but I hope that doesn’t opt me out of both of them.
May 11, 2012 at 11:42 pm
im6!
I have never gotten anything like that, they just come anyway. But I read Caryn’s Comment about the notify me on follow-up comments. I’ll see what happens if I un-check that the next time 🙂
Thanks for the answer!
May 11, 2012 at 5:32 pm
Christer,
I do get every day to do what I want as long as a lot of money isn’t involved. I get to read, take rides, sit on the deck and enjoy every day. I’m fine with that!
I used to get home around 4 or 4:30 and got to work at 6:30 in the morning so I was always far too tired to do errands in the afternoon.
I started getting duplicate comments around the same time. Check out im6’s commet for help.
May 11, 2012 at 3:46 pm
Ladies and Gentlemen…We are Floating in Space
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92754720
May 11, 2012 at 5:26 pm
Unless one remains a giant pulsating sea blob:
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/05/11/giant-pulsing-sea-blob-identified/
Cheers
May 11, 2012 at 5:39 pm
minicapt,
That was fascinating. It is a most amazing jellyfish!
May 11, 2012 at 5:39 pm
Thank you, my dear Hedley!
May 11, 2012 at 7:04 pm
We got a kick out of your adult former Gov. who couldn’t remember cutting a boys hair off in high school. That’s something few people would forget. It took four others to hold the kid down. What a joke. I’m getting close to needing one of your lazy days. Almost napped off at a meeting today.
May 11, 2012 at 7:17 pm
Z&Me,
You have to love selective amnesia. The government seems to have the highest % of sufferers.
I never evn did my errand today!
May 11, 2012 at 11:46 pm
Perhaps cutting off another boys hair was the least nasty thing he did back then. If so one can understand that something like this could be forgotten 🙂 🙂 🙂
May 11, 2012 at 9:47 pm
Don’t know if you saw my “share” on Facebook, Kat. You and Z&M should get a big kick out of this. See the May 11 entry.
http://www.borowitzreport.com/
May 11, 2012 at 9:58 pm
im6,
OMG, I am laughing right outloud here! Thanks for sending this!!!
May 11, 2012 at 11:49 pm
Wonderful 🙂 🙂 🙂
May 12, 2012 at 8:24 am
Kat and im6, it is funny.
Cranbrook is in my community, and obviously is an elite Prep school known for excellent Arts and Sciences. Academia dominates and scholarships are provided. The school has no reputation for discrimination except on price. It’s a tremendous school for families that can afford it
AND before anyone says anything stupid, I have no association with the school, except that I hung out there one night with Bridget Riley. My kids went to Catholic school.
Now bring on Dusty Springfield 🙂
May 11, 2012 at 10:02 pm
I’m so lazy today, I can hardly wave.
May 11, 2012 at 10:16 pm
Lori,
Just nod your head and that will be enough!