Why I'm Enjoying My 30's..

I (vaguely) remember being a teenager, and thinking that 30 was old. I also thought flannel was the greatest fabric created, so what the hell did I know?
The point is... the older you get, the more your definition of "old" changes. I no longer define old. Age is just a number, and attitude is everything. Some days, I feel really old. Other days, I feel quite young. But talking with a friend the other day, she was telling me how nervous she was to celebrate her 30th birthday this year. That got me to thinking... Are your 30's really that bad?? I was surprised to realize that, so far, I am rather enjoying them. I think people take you more seriously in your 30's. You've lost that ignorance of youth, and are now gaining wisdom. You are old enough to take part in everything, and still young enough to enjoy most of it. So would I want to be 18 again? No. And here's why...
I'm smarter now. I have a better understanding of the world around me and how things work. At 18, you're naive to most things, and so you make MANY mistakes. So now I get to enjoy the wisdom and knowledge that those lessons taught me, and laugh at the younger generations.

I'm happier now. Teenage angst is so dramatic. Your world view is so narrow that the littlest things seem catastrophic and earth shattering. In your 30's, you don't sweat the small stuff as much. You understand that life is short and you learn to count your blessings. You know that there is REAL tragedy in the world, and you know how to put things into perspective. 

At 18, you think friendships are about quantity. In your 30's, you know it's really about quality. It isn't how many friends you have, it's how meaningful those relationships are. It isn't about how much time you spend together, it's about what that time entails. With age, you learn to weed out fair weather friends, users and abusers. The people in my life now are the people who truly matter. Ones who have stood by me through thick and thin, and who I would do anything for. 

Being single is not all it's cracked up to be. As a teen, the idea of being with someone for more than a month seems insane. You want to catch all the fish in the sea. You are always thinking you can do better. In your 30's, if you are single, you envy your committed friends. You've caught most of the fish in the sea, and would happily throw them back. A happy, monogamous relationship is one of the greatest things in life. If you are lucky enough to be in one (and thank the stars, I am) you value it and nurture it. 

I am much more comfortable in my body. At 18, I didn't hate my body, but I would happily have changed it. I was quick to see the flaws and tried to hide behind baggy clothes. Now, I own it. I have curves now, and I love them. (I wouldn't hate having a FEW less in some areas, mind you.) I feel content in my skin and accept it, flaws and all. When my hubs tells me I look sexy, I actually FEEL sexy. That doesn't mean the same thing to me as it did in my teens and 20's. I only THOUGHT I knew what sexy was then... now I understand that it has less to do with your size and more to do with your attitude. 

I've accepted who I am. In your teens, you are still discovering yourself. Figuring out where you fit and who you are. By your 30's, you (should) have that figured out. You know what you believe, what you stand for and what you will and won't tolerate. I know I'm far from perfect, and that's ok. There is nothing wrong with who I am. (Though some may argue that.) I truly don't care what people think of me, because I understand that the people who matter, will love me, flaws and all, and the rest aren't my problem. 

Now I could go on, of course, but I think you get the idea. Aging isn't something to dread, or to fear. It simply means you are getting better. Like a fine wine. Or cheese. Yes... I am becoming a stinky, classy cheese, and I am proud of it. So own who you are. At every age. Because you are growing into a better, more well oiled version of yourself, and that is a very good thing. 

My Inner Child

I'm going to just go ahead and say what we all think. Growing up sucks. Yeah, there's a few perks, like being able to drink & have sex, but those things are fun. But jobs, bills, responsibilities, stress and life in general, has a way of sucking the joy out of things. As a child, life was filled with happiness. It was everywhere you looked. From an empty box that could be anything from a robot to a rocket ship, to your backyard, which at any moment could be transformed into a magical fairyland or deep dark woods filled with evil goblins. Life was what you made it. Anything your mind could conjure up became your reality. At least until Mom called you in for dinner. 

The same just isn't true as an adult. You can't turn your stuffy cubicle into a pirate ship and shoot rubber band cannons at your enemy. Well, you could, but I doubt it would go over so well. When your spouse or your kids are stressing you out, you can't go hide in your fort and escape into a book. They'll just follow you. So what do you do? How do you keep your sanity in a world that does its best to make you crazy? 

Well, some folks do drugs. Some drink. Some spend entirely too much time on internet porn. I'm not judging. To each their own, I say. But I have taken a different route. I've opted to stay in touch with my inner child. 

Do you ever notice how when playing with kids, it's so easy to get absorbed into their activities? How quick to laugh, and be silly we are when surrounded by the innocence and joy of children? It's because we are connecting with our inner child during that time. 

Personally, I have a great relationship with my inner child. I'm not afraid to bring her out from time to time and escape from the all too real realities that are my life. Some people see my gnome collection or the silly pics I take of them and think "She's so weird." Yup. I am. But you know what? It makes me laugh. And if it brings a smile, or a laugh to one other person, even better. I still play with Legos. I wear a tiara when I clean my house. I have stuffed animals as throw pillows on my sofa. And sometimes, when life gets a bit out of control, I build a fort, hide in it and color. Does this make me insane? Who knows. I like to think I'm relatively sane. But if I'm not, oh well. I suppose it could always be worse. 

As a child, I had an imaginary friend, and while some people think that is the sign of a creative mind, others think it is a sign that you  might need therapy. It could go either way. I like to think of myself as a creative individual, but I'm sure a therapist would have a field day with me, as well. I'm not perfect. (Big shock, right?) But I have no desire to be. Where's the fun in being perfect? What could be considered flaws to one person may be charming quirks to another. I am who I am, and I make no apologies. 

So is being in touch with your inner child such a crazy thing? Is it so mad to want to reconnect with a part of yourself that was innocent and carefree? A part that found happiness in the simple things. A part that dealt with the disappointments in life with a snack and a brightly colored Band-Aid. A part that started each day with a smile and enough energy to take on the world. A part that knew the only difference between the bathtub and Atlantis was a matter of perspective. Call me crazy, but I think life is hard enough without having to grow old and cynical too. So, I'm sticking with my inner child. She has a great sense of adventure, and throws a mean tea party, too.