Don't Ignore Your Inner Child

Yesterday I built a blanket fort in my living room. There were no children at my house, just me and the hubs. Why then, did I build it? Why not? I was bored, and I felt like building a fort. So I did. Then I spent the remainder of the evening in it, and I enjoyed every minute of it.
My house was clean, the dishes done. Dinner had been made and consumed. Rather than sit on my butt and watch TV, I opted to empty my linen closet and have some silly fun.
We all have those childhood memories that we look back on fondly. Sometimes, we even attempt to recreate them with our own kids. But rarely do we enjoy them as adults. We are in such a hurry to grow up, that we part with our toys, and our imaginations so quickly, and without thought. Only to realize years down the road, that childhood was truly magical, and now just a distant memory.
But it doesn't have to be. Growing older doesn't mean you can no longer enjoy the trappings of your youth. It doesn't mean that the magic has to end. And you don't even need to use your kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, and neighborhood rugrats as an excuse. Do it for you. Because it makes YOU happy.
Life is filled with struggle. As adults, it's difficult to ignore the ugly sides of reality. Bills need to be paid, bosses have expectations, the lawn needs to be mowed. There's always something demanding your time and attention. But what if every once in awhile, you stopped and did something childlike? What if after you raked that pile of leaves, you jumped in it? For no other reason than just to do it. What if, after the kids went to bed, you put on their superhero cape and jumped on the trampoline? I can guarantee you this... the world will not end, and you WILL smile. For those few moments, you can forget your cares. You can essentially... be a kid again.
Most of what made childhood so fun was the lack of worry. We didn't worry if the dishes were done. We didn't worry about what other people would think. We just acted on instinct. If the swings tempted us, we ran for them and swung until our legs ached. We spent hours playing make believe, and pretended to be knights and princesses. We used our imaginations, and soared on the backs of dragons without ever leaving our backyards. We played, and we played hard.
Then somewhere along the way, we just stopped playing. We believed we had to. That grown ups didn't blow bubbles, color, or cannonball into swimming pools. But why? I thought the whole bonus to being an adult was that you could do whatever you wanted. You could eat cupcakes and ice cream for dinner, and wear shorts in the winter. Being an adult meant that you made up your own rules. Yet most adults live under this secret, unspoken code of conduct. These rules benefit no one, yet so many people still allow them to control their behaviors.
Well not me. I know I'm a grown up. I don't need to prove it to anyone. If I want to wear Hello Kitty underpants, and watch Saturday Morning Cartoons, I'll be damned if I'll let anyone tell me otherwise.
If I want to rock a sparkly tiara and fairy wings to clean my house, I will. And you know what... I'll be happier because of it.
Stop letting the world tell you that childhood ends at any certain age, because it only ends when we stop playing, and I have no intention of ever doing that.
Life is stressful. Being an adult is hard. But you know the best part about being an adult? You can mix together all the joys of childhood with the best parts of adulthood. Crack a beer and do some coloring, and tell me that doesn't relieve your stress. Build a fort, and invite your partner to join you in it. (wink, wink) Put on a tutu and dance around your living room to gansta rap. Do whatever makes you happy, and do it now. We only have so much time here, and there's no excuse to spend it being miserable. Don't ignore your inner child. Let them out to play from time to time. I promise you, you won't regret it.

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.