Grow Down

How many times were you told to grow up when you were a kid? Unfortunately, after a while, we listened to our parents and teachers and other adults. We grew up, and life was never the same.

When you watch a normal young child you’ll notice he’s always smiling, always playing. Pure bliss is his default emotional state. Everything fascinates him, the world is a new, amazing place that needs to be explored and played with. This is one of the main reasons we love kids – their happiness rubs off on us. Their smiles and their laughter make it impossible not to join them and smile and laugh ourselves, and it feels great. They remind us of a simpler time. Maybe we’re jealous of their naïveté and their ignorance of how stressful life can get. Bills, relationships, global warming, war, the economy, jobs. Oh god, jobs.

Like most people, I grew up. But then learned to grow down. People who know me well know that I’m less mature now than I was ten years ago. And it makes me happy.

Penis!

Vagina!

DIAMOTHERFUCKINGRRHEA!

(^^proof of my immaturity^^)

I don’t see the point in being mature. It’s just how we’re taught to be in order to fit in, to be a good member of society. Fuck that. I say let loose, be yourself, say what you want, do what you want. As long as you’re a good-hearted person and you don’t hurt people, be yourself, be free! If people are offended by you when you expose your penis personality, who you truly are inside, fuck ’em. You don’t want to be friends with them anyway. Why would you want to be around people who don’t like who you are when you let loose? Just leave them alone.

I used to be afraid of people not liking me. It was the worst feeling. When I’d think back on conversations I’d had, or thoughtless comments I’d made, I’d wonder if the other person didn’t like me, or often I’d know the other person didn’t like me, and it would feel terrible. Although I’d love to be able to say I don’t care at all what people think of me anymore, I’m not there yet. However, with each passing day, each passing year, I care less and less, and I’ve successfully grown down a lot more than most people my age. I hope to be able to act like a 10 year-old girl by the end of this year. Kidding.

I’m not saying to act like a child. That would be weird and annoying. I’m saying embrace the essence, the freedom and joy of being a child and incorporate it into your everyday existence.

Many or most old people stop giving a shit because they’re old, they’ve lived a long life, and as a result, they’re wise. They say what’s on their mind without regret, and often it’s hilarious. People are drawn to these old people for some of the same reasons they’re drawn to little kids: both are immature, relatively untainted by societal norms, happy and joyful, and it rubs off on the people around them.

Who frequents nude beaches the most? Old people (unfortunately). Who constitutes the vast majority of naked people in the locker room? I’m not talking people changing. I’m talking about guys (I don’t spend time in female locker rooms ((as far as you know))) who walk around naked, have long conversations naked, who stay naked unnecessarily while they brush their teeth if they have any left? Old people.

Obviously not all old people are free like this, but more old people than middle-aged and young people feel free to be themselves. When you interact with the ones who did grow down, like my grandfather did, it’s a real blast. For example, I would love to buy a beer for the guy in the picture below (or maybe he’d prefer a Shirley Temple?). He obviously doesn’t give a single shit what people think about him:

The whole point is that growing up curbs your happiness. It restricts your human spirit from being as free as it wants to be, as it was meant to be. If you’ve grown up, it’s ok. You can always grow down.

Some of the smartest, most influential, most prolific men in history have been described as joyful and playful men. It’s the default state of mind of men who have it all figured out, men who are aware of the secrets of the universe. Geniuses.

Life is just a game. When we die, and we will all die, we will realize this truth. To have wasted our entire time playing this game as if it were something serious would be a real shame. There’s so much fun to be had, so much to learn, so much to experience. To enjoy the game as much as possible, grow down and stop being so goddam serious because you’re chaffing my asshole!