Cubicles or Cubbies

I am sure we all remember a time when we were desperate and would have given anything to be treated as an adult. For me, this was junior high, those tween or early teen years, the years when you long for more independence, although aren’t truly ready for an increased level of responsibility. You feel too cool for your once favorite toys and cartoons, and tossed aside are Barbie dolls, baby dolls, action figures, matchbox cars, playdoh, tea parties and a plethora of other things that once represented childhood happiness. As adults we often find ourselves longing for the days of our childhood, a time in our lives when things were so much simpler, a time when so much responsibility didn’t rest on our shoulders. So, when exactly did things change? When did we go from wanting to be grown-ups to wanting to not be, at least all the time, day in and day out? Can we really take time to be "grown-down?"

I think we can and that we should. I am sure most of us, if we are honest with ourselves, would love some time in our busiest days for the things we used to love the most. Why can’t we watch cartoons in the morning while we sit and eat our cereal? Who says snacktime was just for preschool and that recess is a thing of the past? I think we should make time in our days, especially the busiest ones for these simple pleasures. Instead of the news in morning, tune into the Disney channel and watch something that will make you giggle. Take a snack to work and enjoy it rather than running out for a grande something-or-other from Starbucks. And recess, well most offices don’t have playgrounds (and if yours does I want to know where you work!), but make time for a 5 minute stroll around the block, or sit and chat with a co-worker, something that is fun and relaxing and not WORK!

And, we should make time for these simple things in our evenings and weekends, too. Play tag, blow bubbles, get out some crayons and color. Have a tea party, play on the swings in the park, ride your bike, eat a popsicle or have a juice box. Think of what you enjoyed most as a child, things that in that awkward tween time you would have rather died than admitted enjoying. Those are things we should go back to, the things that made us happy, innocently happy. Things that make you grin and giggle, like blowing bubbles with a straw or trying to find words in your bowl of alphabet soup. Play dress up, look for worms, climb a tree, build a fort, use your imagination. Perhaps these things seem silly to you now, but at a time in life when you had all the time in the world, they were the best way to spend your days.

I think all adults should challenge themselves to not take themselves so seriously and to occasionally step back from their day planners, their emails, their board meetings and their Blackberries and back to a time when the only plans in your day were to have fun; you got excited about checking the mailbox, meeting friends on your bike in the park and blackberries were a great snack that your mom gave you. Oh, and don’t forge the juice box to wash them down.