I can only smile when I think about the admission made by Maria Seriego (see my previous post) and this recent comment made on this blog by Sameer Borate:
Just read your Manifesto today. I’ve been suffering from Adultitis for the past 6 years (I’am 32 now). The symptoms had already started when I was 25. The surprising thing is that I knew that I was slowly morphing into some stupid, dumb adult but was unable to do nothing. I’am a software developer and still remember the days when writing software was fun; working in Assembly or optimizing a ‘C’ program would give a high that most people would only experience while having sex or smoking (I’ve never smoked so I’ve really no idea what it feels like). But now it’s become a routine job for me. Now I get as much joy in programming as I would get washing my clothes. Your Manifesto was a kind of a waking-up call to me.
Lets just hope I will be able to implement the eight steps. Thanks!
I am smiling, because I have a funny image (more of a daydream, really) in my head of an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show in which all of these people from all over the world publicly “come out of the closet.” Hundreds of people in the audience represent the thousands (heck, let’s make it millions) of those who are ready to admit that they have Adultitis. I’m sitting on a couch next to Oprah. The couch is noticeably still thanks to the absence of Tom Cruise jumping wildly upon it. This topic is so big that Oprah has called in Dr. Phil, who turns out to be even nicer than I had imagined. Oprah announces that everyone in the audience gets a free copy of my book, which for some reason, causes the crowd to explode in joyful exuberance. And then she announces that she’s going to put it on her book club list, which cause ME to explode in joyful exuberance. Most importantly, the show airs everywhere and millions of people are inspired to take the steps necessary to escape adulthood and start living life the way God intended. With faith, hope, and love. And Dairy Queen ice cream cake for all.
A guy can dream, right?
You’re right Maria! I love the examples of all the ‘to-do’s that are on our adult lists everyday. Sometimes I wonder how they all got there. Oh yeah, that’s right, it was me who put them there. Now, why did I go ahead & do that? After reading the manifesto, I also took the opportunity to read Jason’s book, “Escape Adulthood,” which gave real practical ways on how to actually incorporate some of those 8 steps into the reality of adulthood. I constantly have to remind myself, that I actually keep choosing this craziness & busy-ness (not a real word I know), and that if I want things to be different, I have to make choices to make them be different. I’m still working on that, but eventually I’ll get there & hope to rid myself of this adultitus that plagues me. One day at a time — eventually I’ll learn. I guess that part (learning) of the child in me is not gone – thank God!