Escape Adulthood

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Archives for August 2017

Christine Fader, August 2017 Adultitis Fighter of the Month

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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. Christine Fader is one of our newest Escape Adulthood Insiders, but she made quite a first impression. An email goes out to every new subscriber welcoming them into the tribe, making sure they got the first message, and checking to see if there are any topics that we can write about that might be helpful. Christine's response back included this opening: "Thank you for including me in your Escape Adulthood gang. I am a recovering adult who, after a misspent childhood and youth of Being Incredibly Obedient and Playing It Safe, has started wearing large, felt flowers on my hats (and wearing hats!) and driving …

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Too Old? Think Again.

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Keith Davison lost his wife Evy to cancer after a marriage of 66 years. He admitted that he cried a lot. And the peace and quiet eventually became too overbearing. So get this: The 94-year-old installed an in-ground pool in his backyard. With a diving board. And invited the neighborhood kids to jump in. Now his home is bustling with activity as his newly adopted “grandkids” bring life and laughter into it. He admits it didn’t make economic sense to install the pool. But who can put a price tag on joy? Ninety-four-year-olds shalt not install a pool in thy backyard. #notarule If you’re reading this, I don’t care if you are 24 or 44 or 74, you may consider yourself to be too old to enjoy, do, or attempt certain things. At least that’s what Adultitis wants you to believe. I love stories like this, because they call out Adultitis’ lies, its ridiculous rules that don’t exist, and remind me of what’s possible. The truth is, you’re never too old to play with Lego bricks, learn how …

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Thou Shalt Conceal Thy Wrinkles

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This one’s for the ladies. Full disclosure: At last check, I am not a woman. So I cannot claim to be an expert in the things women go through. But one thing I am sympathetic to is all of the messages bombarding you about your appearance. I mean guys have the pressure to maintain six-pack abs (I’m one sixth of the way there!), but it’s nothing compared to the onslaught you face on a daily basis. Let’s take wrinkles, which are supposedly The Devil. Apparently they are something to be avoided at all costs. My wife has told me horror stories of going to parties at friends’ homes in which she was fearfully warned about such evils as forehead rows, crow’s feet and turkey necks. Honestly, I’m not sure how they get away with calling these get-togethers “parties.” Naturally, some sort of high-priced miracle balm is revealed that claims to have the power to prevent wrinkles, slow down the aging process, and stop global warming all in one fell swoop. Now I don’t doubt the ability …

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Resist

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"Resist" by Jason Kotecki. Oil on canvas. 16x20 inches. Original available here. Some people may assume this piece was created as some sort of a political statement. Nope. Its message is much larger than that. We grow up learning how to fit in, follow rules, and conform. Conformity is the goal governments have for their citizens, factories have for their workers, and teachers have for their students. It gets you to follow the law, do the job, and fill in the little ovals on standardized tests. All without asking too many questions (or ideally, none). Unfortunately, in our current world, governments have gotten too big for their own good, factories are closing down, and a diploma is less valuable than it’s ever been. Conformity is a very good thing for governments, corporations, and schools. But not so much for you. As adults, conformity might deliver a small measure of security. But it can come at the cost of unfulfilled potential and a boring life. Jesus. Ghandi. …

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Calling All Creative Warriors!

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I recently had the great pleasure of being featured on Jeffrey Shaw's Creative Warriors podcast. It was one of the best interviews I've been a part of, mainly because Jeffrey was so well-prepared. Since he'd read my book, Penguins Can't Fly +39 Other Rules That Don't Exist, he came armed with some great questions and we were able to go much deeper, more quickly than usual. I think you'll find it to be a worthwhile listen. Among other things, we discussed... Where the rules that don't exist come from, The danger in being realistic, Why you might not want to wear clean underpants, Where we got this idea that you're not supposed to wear white after Labor Day, Whether or not you should make your bed, The big difference between kids and adults when it comes to water, And why being careful is the most risky thing you can do. Listen here! …

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How to Tackle Life Like a Boss

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"Like a Boss" by Jason Kotecki. Mixed media on canvas. 16x20 inches. Original and prints available here. Life can feel like a high wire act. You’re doing your best to juggle everything on your plate: your job, your family, your finances; and just when you think everything is going pretty well, you glance down and see someone whose yard looks way better than yours. How do they get those flowers to flourish like that? Or someone’s kids who are in way more activities than yours. Will my kids be less attractive to colleges? Or someone who just drove up in their new car. Should I be thinking about getting a better job? For instance, my neighbor cuts his grass every six minutes. Okay, maybe it only seems like that. It’s probably more like sixteen. The point is, a perfect lawn is apparently important to him. I’m not here to judge, except I often do judge — myself. Our lawn usually looks pretty shaggy compared to his, especially if it’s been more than a week since we cut our grass. …

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