I don't wanna grow up...

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I don't think I want to grow up. Ever.

Sunday, The Artist had a 'Dynomite' birthday party for DAD, complete with a prehistoric cake with a volcano. Of course I didn't bring my camera, so you will just have to imagine it. As is the norm these days, I was the only adult present that didn't have at least one child or child-t0-be at the party. And here's what I realized:

I will always be more comfortable at the kids' table.

I know some people HATE the kids' table, suffer from nightmares about the kids' table, and can't wait until they are finally allowed to escape the kids' table. I am not one of those people. And the reason is a simple one.

Kids, for the most part, are entirely free of judgement*.

For example: Let's talk about the two year olds I hung out with on Sunday. By the end of the party, there were at least two tantrums, three sets of hands and faces smeared with green frosting, and two extremely questionable smells eminating from their vicinity. Did it bother any of them at all? No. They were just as happy to share their Capri Sun or their crayon with whoever wanted it.

Grown ups? Not the case. Judgement comes into play in virtually every situation we're in. The smelly person on the subway/bus/trolley? No one wants to really sit by him. The woman with spaghetti sauce on her shirt? Soon to be the next nomination on What Not to Wear. But really? How do either of those things tell us anything about the actual person?

In elementary school, we're taught to not judge a book by it's cover. And then we hit junior high and high school. And the judgement begins. If you don't wear the right brand of jeans, or go to the right church, or drink and do drugs on the weekend, you're not cool, not good enough.

And then we go to college. And we experience the real world, one that's made up of people polarly opposite of ourselves. We experience new things and change the way we think and question everything we've been taught. And judgement kind of takes a back seat.

But once we graduate, once we enter the real world, it comes back full force. We judge others on everything. The job they have, the school they went to, where they live, their past relationships, where they shop and the shoes they wear. And it just kind of sucks.

And so, I'm going to sit at the kids' table forever. That way I can spill anything and everything on myself whenever I want. I can drink vodka instead of beer. And I can eat cake and play with dinosaurs everyday if I choose.

Anyone else want to join me?

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*Don't think that the adults at the party were judgemental. The opposite is true, in fact. The whole party was really one big kid's table. And yes, I did manage to spill cake and green frosting all over myself. What else is new?