“Aren’t you too old for that? I thought you outgrew that?”
This is a phrase that, at one point or another, you might have heard concerning some type of hobby or interest. The first time you hear it, you may brush it aside because you’re still young, and it’s only some punk kid at school trying to be mean.
As we grew older and reached middle school or high school, it stopped mattering. Sometimes you’re still into your toys or maybe a certain TV show, but nobody else is. So, what do you do? You end up giving up on your interests because it’s not the “cool” thing and you want to fit in.
This scenario is common for many, even becoming a cyclical event for some. While it’s normal to outgrow fads and change your tastes, there are some out there who give up their interests in order to become more “adult” or accepted, which in either scenario is not the right way to go about this problem.
First off, playing with toys, watching cartoons or whatever “non-adult” activity you want to insert, doesn’t make someone any less of an adult than someone else.
Those entering college for the first time or those graduating make the mistake of giving up things they love because “that’s not what adults do.” They miss the point of it all.
In both of these cases, the individual is entering a new facet of life and is being told that people now just don’t do those things like read superhero comics, or whatever it is you do. Then, in both of these scenarios, you start to get back into what you gave up because you realize it doesn’t matter what people think — you enjoy it, or you find someone else who just embraces these “childish” hobbies freely.
The important thing to remember is to not get to that point of abandonment. Don’t give up the things you love because that’s what you think you should do or someone else chastises you about a hobby.
As with anything else, you can’t let your hobbies be the only thing in your life. Also, it’s important to know that someone people will never get your interests and see certain hobbies/activities as “child’s play.” If you enjoy it, so what? It doesn’t matter what people think, as long as you’re having fun in a respectable manner. Who cares what anyone else thinks?
Similarly, if someone can’t respect your hobbies, then they probably can’t respect you.
Besides, the key fact to remember about adulthood is that it’s all about knowing the time and place for things.
We all have to remember the famous C.S. Lewis quote: “When I became a man, I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.”
Email Luis Reyes at luis.reyes@cardinalpointsonline.com
