I have a friend, a very good guy who I look at as a great source of inspiration, professionally speaking. Let's just call him 'Tyler' for the sake of this blog entry. If the real Tyler is smart (which he is), he'll know right away that part of this blog entry is about him and I'll end up getting flack from him later in the week (in a good way). Here's a little background on my buddy Ty. Tyler is turning 30 this year. Having turned 30 last year, I understand the anxiety and weigh that is attached to this milestone of a birthday. The year leading up to my 30, I dreaded it. But once I got my feet wet with it, I found out that it wasn't so bad. Now, I actually prefer it. I feel that you are taken more seriously by your peers, personally as well as professionally. But I've found out that so many people tack on a disclaimer to this birthday and it usually goes like this...."I am not turning 30, EVER! I am staying 29!" As we all know, life goes on but why do we put ourselves into this position that has us denying the fact that Father Time is rolling on with us, whether we like it or not. Let's analyze this for a moment.
Remember Peter Pan? Of course you do. The boy who wore green tights and comes from a magical land called Neverland. This fairy tale may seem like a sweet story created for kids to paint a cute picture of the life of a magical boy who refused to grow up and play by the rules. All wrapped up in a pretty pink bow and packaged by the Disney Corporation, this movie is one of the most beloved by children. Here's the grim reality of good ole' Peter Pan. At the end of the story, the kids of the Darling family eventually grow up and forget Peter Pan, while he stays in Neverland by himself....all alone. The Lost Boys who were inhabitants of Neverland, were eventually adopted by the Darling family. So what is this story teaching kids? It's okay to act like a complete goof-off? Of course not. But to naïve children, this story makes the point that it's ok to slack off in life, have fun and never accept responsibility. Obviously, most kids eventually find out that life does get better the older you become and that this is nothing more than a beloved child's fairy tale. But isn't that what fairy tales are supposed to teach us? Life lessons that we carry with us forever.
In the 1940s and 50s, people had different mentality back then. You were almost forced to grow up at a very young age. There was really no such thing as being a young man, you were either viewed as a child or an adult, depending on the way you carried yourself. Those generations valued hard work and discipline and were forced to make very hard decisions, sometimes at a very young age. There was WWII, the Great Depression, among a multitude of other things that dictated the way people had to present themselves to others', accept responsibility and well, be an adult. Today, the rules have changed in a major way on some areas of development for our kids. We coddle them. They have a lot of things handed to them. Yes, they may have opportunities that even I didn't have when I was their age (Did I just say that?!), but what is the problem with kids today? (I think I sang that line when I was in Bye, Bye Birdie in High School!, lol) Everything that I have that has some sort of meaning in my life, I've earned myself, whether it's good or bad. And the reason I got them is because one, I was raised right. My parents gave me every opportunity for my own personal growth that they could and yes. they still do, even though I'm completely capable of tending to my own problems and agendas. And two, I have always believed that anything worth having in this life requires hard work and sacrifice. Like I've just stated, I've worked for everything that I've ever gotten in my life. Yeah, I may have had some influence from family members but on the whole, I earned those degrees, my jobs, etc. At age 30, I know I'm not in my dream career as of yet, but I do know that with time, things ARE going to present themselves. It seems for kids today that laziness is at an all time high. If you ask any child what they do when they come home from school, the number one response you'll probably get from them is play video games. Really? Video games? I used to play video games too back in the day but c'mon. There's a whole world of things to do in your backyard, at the playground or even in the house, just not in from of the television. This is why we are creating an obese generation. And that's just downright frightening. What does this have to do with your age? Everything. Kids don't learn what we tell them, they learn what we show them. Be a positive model for your kids. Stay active, eat right, don't lay on the couch and rot yourself into an early grave. Be the person who walks in a room and people say "I want to be like him" or "He is such a reputable person in the community". There's comes a point where it's time to hang up the remote control and the sooner you realize that, the better off you'll be.
I read an article a while back called "Why I refuse to turn 30". In it, the author tells why he doesn't want to face fact that he is about to embark on the ripe 'old' age of 30. He made the connection that men who aren't married by a certain age always have to justify themselves in social situations to people. And the older you are, the more people 'study' you and try to figure out why. I never made that connection for myself or put a marker age on when I want to be married by, have a career by, etc. If you plan your entire life out, where's the fun in getting where you want to be? Life is about making mistakes, learning from them and growing as an individual.
I also read an article just this morning that said that as men age, we tend to get more attractive. I believe that. Think about it, you may think you are the be all, end all when you are 14 years old. A thin framed, awkward teenager. If I had the choice of staying where I'm at or going back to age 14, I'll stay where I'm at. I hated myself at 14. I had acne, was short (still am, lol), and although, I had friends, I felt insecure, like most kids do at that age. At present day, I'm more confident, have more opportunities and friends who like me for me, not because you are forced to go to school with each other for four years. And as the getting more attractive, I don't want to blow my own horn but I have filled out to be a better looking version of my teenage self (Thanks testosterone.)
So what about my friend Tyler? Well, I think most of what he says to me about staying 29 is mostly for show but I also think that deep down he, like everyone else has insecurities and fears about growing older. I think that's a natural part of life, but it's also what makes this life beautiful and worth getting out of the bed in the morning for. We may not know where the road ends up but we can have fun in the journey there. Also, time keeps moving for everyone. No one is exempt. So don't you think it's time to grow up, Peter Pan? Neverland is no fun when you live there alone!
In the 1940s and 50s, people had different mentality back then. You were almost forced to grow up at a very young age. There was really no such thing as being a young man, you were either viewed as a child or an adult, depending on the way you carried yourself. Those generations valued hard work and discipline and were forced to make very hard decisions, sometimes at a very young age. There was WWII, the Great Depression, among a multitude of other things that dictated the way people had to present themselves to others', accept responsibility and well, be an adult. Today, the rules have changed in a major way on some areas of development for our kids. We coddle them. They have a lot of things handed to them. Yes, they may have opportunities that even I didn't have when I was their age (Did I just say that?!), but what is the problem with kids today? (I think I sang that line when I was in Bye, Bye Birdie in High School!, lol) Everything that I have that has some sort of meaning in my life, I've earned myself, whether it's good or bad. And the reason I got them is because one, I was raised right. My parents gave me every opportunity for my own personal growth that they could and yes. they still do, even though I'm completely capable of tending to my own problems and agendas. And two, I have always believed that anything worth having in this life requires hard work and sacrifice. Like I've just stated, I've worked for everything that I've ever gotten in my life. Yeah, I may have had some influence from family members but on the whole, I earned those degrees, my jobs, etc. At age 30, I know I'm not in my dream career as of yet, but I do know that with time, things ARE going to present themselves. It seems for kids today that laziness is at an all time high. If you ask any child what they do when they come home from school, the number one response you'll probably get from them is play video games. Really? Video games? I used to play video games too back in the day but c'mon. There's a whole world of things to do in your backyard, at the playground or even in the house, just not in from of the television. This is why we are creating an obese generation. And that's just downright frightening. What does this have to do with your age? Everything. Kids don't learn what we tell them, they learn what we show them. Be a positive model for your kids. Stay active, eat right, don't lay on the couch and rot yourself into an early grave. Be the person who walks in a room and people say "I want to be like him" or "He is such a reputable person in the community". There's comes a point where it's time to hang up the remote control and the sooner you realize that, the better off you'll be.I read an article a while back called "Why I refuse to turn 30". In it, the author tells why he doesn't want to face fact that he is about to embark on the ripe 'old' age of 30. He made the connection that men who aren't married by a certain age always have to justify themselves in social situations to people. And the older you are, the more people 'study' you and try to figure out why. I never made that connection for myself or put a marker age on when I want to be married by, have a career by, etc. If you plan your entire life out, where's the fun in getting where you want to be? Life is about making mistakes, learning from them and growing as an individual.
So what about my friend Tyler? Well, I think most of what he says to me about staying 29 is mostly for show but I also think that deep down he, like everyone else has insecurities and fears about growing older. I think that's a natural part of life, but it's also what makes this life beautiful and worth getting out of the bed in the morning for. We may not know where the road ends up but we can have fun in the journey there. Also, time keeps moving for everyone. No one is exempt. So don't you think it's time to grow up, Peter Pan? Neverland is no fun when you live there alone!
Comments
Post a Comment