Escape Adulthood

Archives for March 2016

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Mariëlle Coppes, March 2016 Adultitis Fighter of the Month

An Adultitis Fighter is someone who rallies against rules that don't exist and engages in ruthless, senseless acts of silliness that undermine Adultitis and its unadventurous version of adulthood. Once a month, we shine a light upon the most remarkable among us, holding them up as a dazzling example of what we should strive for in this epic battle against a formidable enemy. It would appear that Mariëlle Coppes was born to fight Adultitis, and she does it in a most beautiful way. With an infectious curiosity, a bright smile, and a flair for tinkering, Mariëlle dreams up projects that turn …

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Secrets of Travel and Tinkering

When I was in high school I became aware that a career in art might require me to move to a big city. The prospect of travel frightened me. At that point, I had never been on a plane, and had only visited a few neighboring states. I wondered, How would I find my way? How would I navigate an airport? How would I stay safe? Looking back, from a well-established speaking career that has required a lot of travel, I can only smile at what was mostly fear of the unknown. Because now I’m really good at it. I know how to pack smart and light. I’m savvy about what lines to avoid. I’ve learned …

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My Daughter Stinks at Talking

My daughter Virginia is one of the worst talkers on the planet. Seriously, she’s really, really bad. Her best sentences are only three words long, and you’re lucky if you can understand them, they’re so mumbly. She’s dreadful at enunciation, too. She calls her sister Lucy, “Yoo-yoo” and her brother Ben, “Bah.” I mean, how hard is it to say “Ben" for crying out loud?! Ginny is very good at smiling and getting me to do anything she wants, but she’s well below par when it comes to talking. She’s also barely two. There’s a good chance you think my assessment of her talking skills is …

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That Time My Dad Dressed Like a Bee to Tell Us He Had Cancer

The phone call came minutes after I walked off stage after a speaking program. It was my wife Kim, alerting me that my dad wanted to arrange an urgent family meeting for the next day. As he has a bit of a history of overhyping things, I couldn’t help but wonder about the true importance of this meeting, especially since the following day was the only day I’d be home in the span of a week. A call back to Dad confirmed that the situation was serious, and he was adamant that he didn’t want to tell us the news by phone. * Gulp * And so began a 24-hour waiting period in which the only …

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On New Beginnings

There’s something about those birthdays that end in “0,” especially once you reach a certain age. I mean, turning 10 didn’t give me much anxiety, and even 20 was pretty exciting, but the tide turned at 30 and I was feeling downright melancholy a few weeks ago on the lead-up to 40. It’s not just about getting older. I feel successful on many levels, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I should have somehow accomplished "more" than I have. For example, in my twenties, I thought I’d have at least one bestseller by now. And definitely a Porsche. And possibly be best friends with …

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