College: the time of life to expand your horizons, prepare for your future, to become the man or woman of tomorrow — or is it?
If that is the case, why do so many seem to revert to doing things that they haven’t done in years?
Making a run to Wal-Mart to buy a pack of Yu-Gi-Oh cards, whipping out plastic lightsabers and dueling outside of Grad Hall, downloading and playing an older version of Pokémon, or playing “dress-up” for functions, plays, or Spring-Sing; basically participating in “kid” activities.
I may have been caught a few times watching Cartoon Network or Disney Channel on the first floor of Allen Hall . . . and maybe three entire seasons of Ben 10 on Netflix. So the question is, why do we do this?
Some may say it’s because we’ve never grown up, but what if it’s the opposite? What if partaking in these rituals is because we are growing up?
Think about it. College is a brand new experience which can make it a little scary or intimidating. For many, it’s a new place, a new atmosphere, new teachers, new friends and maybe even a new country. A whole lot of “new.” So maybe having something “old” and familiar helps us to cope with this new reality.
What if because we know that our lives are changing, and once we leave campus, our lives are never going to be the same? What if we enjoy “blasts from the pasts” to remind us who we were, what we enjoyed, what made us smile, laugh, cry and molded us into who we are today, all before we become who we are tomorrow?
There’s nothing wrong with cartoons or pretending to be princesses or superheroes, as long as we don’t forget that we are maturing. Jesus did say to become like a child to enter the Kingdom, but we were also commanded to “put away childish things” in 1 Corinthians 13:11. It’s a balance.
Let us remember this: as we become young professionals let’s not forget what it’s like to be a kid, to enjoy life and have fun.
