Childhood dreams shouldn’t stop in adulthood
As I was sitting here today pondering over my morning coffee, a thought occurred to me. When did being an adult push the dreams of childhood aside? At what point did we stop wanting to be a superhero, an astronaut, a cowboy or a princess?
That led me to delve a bit deeper into my psyche. Did those dreams and imaginations really go away, or are they just tucked safely away from the world so that no one can know your fantasy to make light of it or harass you for still harboring a sense of wonder? I believe for a lot of people it is the latter. We seem to get so caught up in appearances and expectations of being an adult that we are afraid that a slip up or casually spoken comment about a game, a book genre or a hobby will lead to derision or scorn from our peers.
However, I believe things are shifting. I see things such as puzzles, Legos, role-playing games, video games and other crafts or hobbies that used to be seen by adults as silly or stupid are making a comeback. I have read that there are now large groups of people playing Dungeons and Dragons, which I will confess I thought was nerdy even as a youngster. It is not just youthful players either; it is adults who have campaigned for years. I look at Lego sets and the complexity and price and realize this is not a child’s hobby or toy anymore, this is serious business. People build for display, not just to put together and then take apart. Video games have risen to prominence and are profitable for the elite players, from tournament winnings to live-stream revenues.
Reading is another hobby or pastime, if you prefer, that always carried a stigma of the reader being a bookworm. Heaven forbid that you should get caught reading a fantasy novel. You were labeled a super geek if it got out that you were reading about wizards and dragons. Now, with the advent of certain movies and television series, fantasy and sci-fi are cool again. I mean, just look at some of the names that newborns have been getting saddled with over the last decade since a certain book series became a major television production. Audiobooks have also contributed to a rise in how people consume knowledge. I freely admit that of the few dozen books I read per year, 90% are fantasy series that draw you in and keep you waiting for the next installment. Looking at you, Patrick Rothfuss!
No matter what your stress reliever might be – be it very adult to very much something from your childhood – embrace it. The rare free moments from the rat race of adulthood should be something to enjoy and use to decompress. Show your inner nerd by learning a new game or picking up a fantasy novel. Learn to share your enthusiasm for things with your friends young or old. Life is too chaotic to not have that time for your passions. Do not be afraid to ask a friend to teach you how to play a game or to join you on a quest.
Life is much too short to worry about what your peers might say. Maybe if we all started to find common interests and have a bit of fun with a game night, a treasure hunt, a book club or just a night of sci fi and fantasy movies, we can be one society, if even just for a few hours. What have you got to lose?
All right, my words of encouragement and wisdom have run out. If you need to get a hold of me, I will probably be reading about dragon riders or piloting my starship through the universe on the trusty video game console. You are more than welcome to join me for the ride. I hope you will — the world is a better place with friends and partners in it.
Dustin would like to hear what you’re thinking about these days. You can drop him a line at dustinb@midco.net to let him know what you thought about his column, or just to say “Hi!”