The Little Things.....

I'm about 3 weeks away from turning the age of 26. It's kind of crazy. And as I survey where I am and who I am right now in my life, I find that I'm nowhere near the person I thought I'd be at this age. And, for the most part, that's a good thing. Of course, there will always be things about yourself that you would want to change, even it it's just a small change. But overall, I really wouldn't change much at all. Growing up, I always thought that the older you get, the more mature and the less childlike you should become. I no longer believe that to be true. At least to a certain extent. True, becoming a responsible person is a very worthwhile pursuit. And it's also good to be learning how to adapt to different situations as you get older. But, for the most part, my goal is to never fully "grow up". I still want to find joy and amusement in the littlest of things, just like little kids do. And if you know me at all, it doesn't take much to amuse me. I'm the guy who gets excited every time he sees someone with a mullet, (especially if it's on someone younger than me!). I'm the guy whose spirits are lifted whenever he eats a really good cookie. People-watching has always been a favorite hobbie of mine. And if you ever want to totally make my day special, you don't have to go out of your way and do something spectacular. All you need to do is buy me a coke, give me a donut, or quote a really funny line from a movie or tv show. That's it! And that's something I hope to never change about myself. (And if I ever do change that and become "mature", you have full permission to just kick me in a really sensitive spot, you have my word.)

Every once in a while, someone will come along and ask me what my favorite thing to do was when I was growing up. And as I reflect on it, I can pretty much sum up my entire childhood in five things: basketball, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles the Arcade Game for the NES, Sling shots, building forts, and rousing games of Battling Tops with my brother. If you don't know what Battling Tops is, you really are missing out! You have this mini arena thing that you launch these spinning tops into and the last top still standing wins the round. That's it! It seems so simple, but to this day, I still find it incredibly amusing! I had been looking for this game for a long time because they don't make it anymore. And just last week, my amazing mother, whom I love even more now, found one at a Goodwill and graced me with it. You have no clue how much joy surged through my soul when she told me she found one! I played it last night with some friends and seriously, it was hilarious. Here are 4 guys, all 20 and over, playing this game that has the "6 years or older" comment on the box. And no one was more happy than me! So, to make a long story short, my life is now closer to being complete. Sure, a girlfriend, or even just a date, would be nice (of course, having a decent amount of time to be social is important for those!). But I know that I will be perfectly happy with some coke in the fridge, a guitar to play, good music on my ipod, and Battling Tops in my closet. Now, if only I could find that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game...........