Taylor Swift had it right when she sang, “Oh darling, don’t you ever grow up.” I should’ve listened to her. At this very moment, I’m sitting in my house with three very burnt fingertips after a recent attempt to use the stove. When I say that I have very burnt fingertips, I mean legitimate second-degree burns with blisters and throbbing pain that can only be relieved by perpetually holding my hand under cold water. All of this trouble came from simply wanting some Kraft Mac and Cheese after a long day at my internship. Unfortunately, the evening didn’t end there. I had to take my dog for a walk, do the dishes, put away laundry, and study for the GRE before I could finally go to bed in order to wake up the next day and do it all over again.
During the past few years in college, I’ve learned that being independent is exhausting. We spend our entire childhood wishing to grow up, but, once we get there, we learn the hard way that it’s not all that it’s cracked up to be. When we were little, our parents told us to slow down. However, why did they never tell us what being older is really about? Why didn’t they tell us that being an adult is a never ending cycle of confusion, frustration, and exhaustion? Maybe they did tell us. Maybe they told us, but we didn’t believe it because we were blinded by the light of adolescence, where an escape from puberty and helicopter parents was anticipated.
The way that I see it, adulthood is like a washing machine set on repeat, with little variation in the possible cycles. Once the cycle has started, it’s impossible to get out of it without cancelling the whole thing and starting all over. Each day is filled with an endless amount of tedious chores that make us wish that we could go back to the days when our homework consisted of coloring and dinner was free. I desperately long for the times when I didn’t have to do my own laundry and I know that I’m not the only clueless individual stuck in the washing machine of adolescence.
Being an adult comes with a lot of new responsibilities and it’s no fun to constantly plunge into them. Everyone deserves the chance to have a fun life. So, refresh yourself by taking an entire day to watch TV or eat ice cream for dinner because you can. Play games outside, build sand castles at the beach, and dance to the radio when no one is watching. Embrace your inner child.
Although it’s impossible to slow down time, never grow up. Walt Disney lived by the motto: “Growing old is mandatory, but growing up is optional.” We should live by this too, always remembering to keep our hearts young. Make sure to also take your time to learn how to be an adult. I’m clearly still learning things as simple as keeping my hands off of hot surfaces.
“Oh darling, don’t you ever grow up. Don’t you ever grow up; it could still be simple.”
