Youth or experience ?

My good friend Matthew recently wrote in his own blog about the pros and cons of adult life versus that of a child. Which is better, the carefree existence of a child, or the tantalizing benefits, and associated stress and tribulation, of an adult ? My answer was this:

Who says you can't have both ?

I am an adult, a software engineer, a wife, a taxpayer and a homeowner. I do grocery shopping every week, fold the laundry and clean the kitchen. Yet my husband and I find great enjoyment in indulging in the various video games at Dave and Busters and watching reruns of Looney Tunes. Softball (often seen as a kids' game) is one of my great joys in life. I still love (and always will) a long, loud night of dancing to awesome music with like-minded people. Who says my age must get in the way of that ?

Being an adult has its downfalls, its stress, its responsibilities and commitments. But it does not mean that one is trapped in a cage, resigned to a life of PTA meetings, carpools, bad movies on cable TV and shopping for toilet brushes at Wal-Mart.

Adults have a way of allowing external factors and/or family pressures to suck the life, creativity and spirit out of them. This is not the fault of adult life itself; it is the choice (conscious or not) of the individual.

I choose to live my life with a vibrant devotion to the various sports, activities and people that surround me. Even as the pressure mounts and I find myself weighted heavily by responsibility, I have not forgotten how to let loose and have fun. Life is a mere shadow of itself if not explored, pursued, enjoyed and shared.

Especially with some low-fat ice cream, a good friend, and a scintillating game of Ms. Pac-Man.