You know how when you were a kid you thought adults were so boring. They didn’t play make believe, they didn’t somersault, they were too “mature” to eat dirt. Did you ever find yourself promising that you were never going to be like that? That you would always climb trees, walk backwards, or eat 10 cookie dough balls for dinner? How do you compare to the kind of adult you thought you would be, and the kind of adult you are?

I think the difference between being a kid and an adult is a connection to the concept of consequences. When you are young, the consequences of your actions are seldom more relevant than the experience of doing whatever you think might be fun. I remember balancing on a ledge with a 30 ft drop on either side just to freak out my friend who was afraid of heights. Or making a bet to see who could not brush their teeth the longest, and only caving after the mold began to form at 7 weeks. In my youth I never questioned should I sleep in my bathing suit, or jump off this roof into a snow bank, but rather do I really need drink water to stay alive when I can just eat popsicles?

As you get older, and experience the pain and suffering of your actions, you start to imagine all the potential penalties while pondering how long it would take to heal. You find yourself envisioning all that could go wrong, rather than how exciting it would be to stand on someone’s handlebars while they are riding down a 2-mile hill. All the brainpower you once dedicated to seeing if it is really impossible to drink a gallon of milk without barfing, or fainting by hyperventilation, is replaced by a little voice that reminds you that you don’t have health insurance.

It is not for nothing that we lose our sense of adventure. You can remember what it feels like to have a broken bone, or explosive diarrhea, so it is harder to just throw caution to the wind. Although, come to think of it, maybe that is exactly where caution belongs… just because something blows away, doesn’t mean it can’t blow back. Point is, even though it is perfectly reasonable keep ourselves safe, we still should every once and a while do something crazy just for the fun of it. I mean when was the last time you played chicken? I suggest you try it next time you are walking on the street… with a stranger… and if they get mad at you for ramming into them for no reason, remind them they need to live a little.

“Check me out! I am a wild woman! A rebel! I am sitting on the grass even those these cones indicate that I am not supposed to! Oh crap… is someone coming?”