The Juvenile Adult

Big story on New York Metro site focusing on how today’s generation is hitting middle age, but we’re still immersed in the stuff of our youth. The author titled his piece, Up With Grups. I think it’s an incredibly interesting piece as I myself have been unable to eject my inner child in favor of a boring, middle-aged, responsible adult. Ok, scratch that part about responsible, but “Yeah!”… I still can’t believe I’m turning 40 next month.

The author sees a focus on “stuff” or being “cool.” I just see it as an identity thing. Or in the case of tennis shoes, a comfortability thing. What’s the benefit of dressing up if you don’t value the opinion of superficial people? Because we all know that worthwhile friends care more about the person inside that whether their jeans have a designer label stiched to them, right? Appearances are only skin-deep or some crap like that. I want people to like me, but not because I’m wearing the right gear or listening to the in band, but because of how I treat other people.

You know how some people are nothing like what they were in high school? I’m not one of those people. I think I’m almost exactly the same person. (My wife might want to debate that point.) But what does that say about me? Am I part of the minority? Majority? Do I even care? No. Not really. I am, who I am, and that’s all that I am.

To put it in Seinfeld-ese, I’m an anti-pretendite. The Pretenders are so 1980. I’m more of a “what you see is what you get” kind of guy; complete with old jeans, hand-me-down shirts and my Subdivisions tape playing in my car. (Ok, you caught me, if I could afford a new car, my Subdivisions CD would be playing in my car’s CD player.)

When it comes to language, I was taught that foul language was a sign of an unimaginative mind. Despite what many think, our society is not “progressing” towards greater enlightenment because base language is a sign of regression. Just out, a new poll shows that that 64% of Americans use the F-word “from several times a day to a few times a year.” Is that their attempt to stay young and (potentially) cool? Or, is it just a bad habit they can’t shake?

I’m not saying saying this focus on a youth movement is new or even unnatural. I’m just saying, it’s better to stay true to your self, than to pretend to be something you’re not. Now excuse me while I go play Joust with my kids.