There are times to be a mature, responsible, professional adult, and there are times to be a kid.
That’s something I’ve known for a long time but still haven’t really learned.
It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day routine of college. We run from class to class, filling the time between with reading, writing, reporting and researching. We stay up until 2 a.m. and squeeze in a bit of naptime before we wake up five hours later and do it again. We practice being professional, take on more responsibilities than we should and stress about what we’re going to do after this four-year transition into the real world.
Sometimes we need a little reminder that juvenility doesn’t have to mean immaturity; taking a night to hark back to our childhood days doesn’t mean we’re failing as adults.
So, last Friday, a few friends and I got together and did something I haven’t done since before high school: We carved pumpkins.
And it was a blast.
We went with two classic designs: A cat face and a triangle-eyed monster. After we lit the candles, we washed the seeds and roasted them. (They turned out fantastic, by the way, which might surprise anyone who has seen me try to use an oven.)
It was the most fun I’ve had in Athens in a while, and it reminded me that trying to be professional all of the time isn’t as great as it’s chalked up to be. We all need a little fun to keep us sane.
Maybe everyone else already knows this, and I’m the only one who needs to be reminded, but something tells me that most of us tend to forget what it means to truly be a kid again.
So next time you find yourself saying, “I’m too old for that,” do a double take. Chances are, you’re not.
Brian Vadakin is a sophomore studying Spanish and a staff writer for The Post. Have a favorite pumpkin carving design to share? Email him at bv111010@ohiou.edu.
