Monday, February 22, 2016

Why I'd Like to be a Teenager Again

Photo from www.magic4walls.com

I'm really sick of midlife with all of its responsibility and realities.   Sandwiched between raising my  kids and worrying about my aging dad.  Being an adult with kids, a mortgage, medical insurance, an IRA, student loans and the right to vote isn't all it's cracked up to be.   That's why I'd like to be a teenager again.

I want to be spontaneous and stupid again.  But the great thing is, I wouldn't realize I was stupid, because I'd think I knew all the answers.  Everything would be black and white again.  None of this murky grey area.

The first thing I'd do is eat.  Everything.  And I wouldn't stop.  Because I'd have a metabolism that wouldn't quit.  And because my parents buy my food.  Plus,  I'd have all this disposable income delegated to junk food and other such frivolities from working my part-time job at the movie theater with absolutely no financial obligations.  Not to mention, I get to see free movies at work.

I'd stay up late.  Way past 10pm.  Even past midnight when all the bad decisions start to seem really, really good.  But it's okay because I could sleep in the next morning.  And then it would totally be like it was all a dream.  Besides, even if I did something stupid, I could blame it on being a teenager and everyone would understand.

I'd be all excited to go to college in Hawaii where I'd party with my friends, hang out at the beach while following my passion getting that philosophy degree with a minor in art history.  And I wouldn't flunk out even though I'd be partying on the beach because I'd be completely betrayed by my optimism.

I'd be hopelessly deluded about my future and how much of a difference I'd make in the world while living in Paris philosophizing about art at my job at the Louvre one day.   But with none of the responsibility to change anything because I wouldn't be able to vote.  And I'd be naive enough that I wouldn't realize that voting isn't how real change occurs anyway.


Oh, to be a teenager again...













2 comments:

  1. I'd hate to be a teenager again! I'm lazy and imagine having to learn all those life lessons again! Imagine having to do all the setting up house rearing kids, night feeds again. Hang on in there, there is life on the other side. I took early retirement, paid my debts and moved to Turkey. I have been to Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Vietnam, and am presently in the Maldives. So I can take the aching bones, missing teeth, hot flushes, expanded waistline and saggy boobs. Everyday is busy but doing what I want to do. It's the kids who now worry about what I might do next and they know there turn is coming when they may have to look after me....they are making plans in advance for a nice nursing home. :-) so forget about the seeming carefree life of teenagers, they have all that angst about pimples and acceptance, where they will get money when the parent well dries up.
    Hang on in there. Retirement rocks!!!

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  2. I had loads of fun as a teenager, but it was confusing and stressful to, worrying about exams and boys, too much thinking about boys lol. Think I'll stick with 39, I am liking 39

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