Adultitis can't be taken down by government legislation, well-financed corporations, or an army of powerful tanks. Its only weakness is ordinary people instilled with the soaring spirit of childhood who rally against the rules that don’t exist and engages in ruthless, senseless acts of silliness. We call these actions small rebellions. They may be small but they are also mighty. They undermine the slavery of Adultitis and its unadventurous version of adulthood, and they have the power to change the world.
I have fond memories from childhood of May Day. We'd cut some of our beautiful irises and gently put them in homemade construction paper cones along with some candy and run giddily over to our neighbor Lois' house to surprise her. The best part was ringing the doorbell and running away. When else can you do this?! …
[Read more...] about Mom and Daughter Celebrate May Day a Little Late
We're often told that the secret to happiness is to take the road less traveled. Oftentimes, it certainly seems like there must be a better way to do things than our current approach. But the problem is that the "beaten" path is so well-paved, well-marked and well-lit, that frankly, it can be hard to imagine that there could even be another way, let alone a better one. One small example is the arena of organized sports. My kids are too young to be involved in things like baseball or soccer, but I hear stories of peers who are looking down the barrel of a summer in which the majority of …
[Read more...] about Area Families Launch “Dirt League” to Battle Summer Busyness
What happens when kids are allowed to be bored, without any organized extracurricular activities and without access to iPods, iPhones or video games? What happens when parents encourage their kids' creativity, even if it makes a mess? What happens when one person is unafraid to let his inner child to come out and play when everyone else is too busy, inhibited, or just too "adult?" What happens when hundreds of people do something simple to make the day of a child? Magic, that's what. This video is the story of a 9-year-old boy who built an elaborate cardboard arcade inside his …
As casual as our culture sometimes seems, we are still quite uptight in many areas. Much of it comes from caring about what other people think of us. …
[Read more...] about The Shocking Meal Miss Manners Doesn’t Want You To Know About
I met Kevin and his family when I was in college. They were very involved in the church I attended. Such cool people; kind, warm and welcoming. The parents modeled a marriage worth emulating. Kevin reminded me of me when I was his age: brown curly hair, smart and thoughtful, a little bit shy. I’d lost touch, but was recently saddened to hear that Kevin, just twenty-three years old, was battling leukemia. He had been in Texas getting treatment and fighting hard, but with the cancer on the verge of winning the war, he returned this past September to spend his final months at home. Kevin’s …
[Read more...] about What I Learned From One Family’s Battle with Leukemia
So in last week’s Insider newsletter (you're getting that, right? If not, hop to it!), I wrote about meeting Ann, a long-time nurse who has been wearing her trademark red clown nose for the better part of 35 years. She not only wears it at the hospital where she works, but at places like the grocery store, too. I urged readers to be more like Ann. Too often, we play it safe for fear of encountering the wrath (and dirty looks) of those with full-blown Adultitis. To be sure, Ann encounters more than her fair share of those types when she’s wearing the red nose. But she also brightens the day of …
[Read more...] about Public Displays of Silliness on the Rise
Parents can be so lame. Hopelessly out of touch. It’s as if they can’t help themselves from embarrassing their children. And then some parents go our of their way to do it. …
[Read more...] about Utah Dad Embarrasses Son Every Morning with Costumes and Waving
The school year is winding down and the weather is getting nicer. ’Tis the season for... ...a Pajama Run! …
[Read more...] about Wisconsin Moms Marshal Most Epic Pajama Run Ever
Every once in a while someone pops into my life that just knocks me on my butt for one reason or another. In the midst of this cold and dreary "spring" (aka extended winter), I have been painfully craving the fresh perspective that spring inevitably brings me. From the tulips to the chirping birds, spring is just good for my soul. Since it's been so delayed here in Wisconsin, I have struggled to keep my positive playful perspective, as I tend to rely on the change in seasons for a boost that didn't come through when I thought it would this year. …
[Read more...] about Pry Your Life Out of the Jaws of Average
It seems like the "spring cleaning" bug has bitten a number of my friends. Clutter can be a big culprit to Adultitis. With the busy pace of life, piles accumulate and before you know it, you are feeling overwhelmed and unenergized by all of the "stuff" in your life -- whether at work, at home, or in your mind. That's quite a winning combination for the Deadly A. I like the idea of having things all fresh and organized, but I am still waiting for that internal motivation. Once again, one of my sister-in-laws came to the rescue. …
[Read more...] about Mom Enlists an Army to Clean Her Home for Free
