Sunday, September 19, 2004

Toys R Us

I don't want to grow up. But I am. I guess it's time that I wake up and realize I am a grad student. From here, I can look forward to forty years as a worker bee, then I retire, hopefully. The days are gone when I can ride my bike to the video store to rent "Tommy Boy" again and still have it be as hilarious as it was when I first watched it. Instead of seeing goofy movies like "Tommy Boy", I'm renting more thoughtful pieces like "The Dreamers" and "City of God," both of which I have seen recently. I hear what's on the radio nowadays, and I think like a grandparent. "How can those kids listen to that crap?" But I did 10 years ago. Ok, you're right, I was still listening to it recently. But my tastes are maturing, and unfortunately, I can't go back. So if you feel like you're growing up, you're not alone.





. . . I'm off to watch "Happy Gilmore".

7 Comments:

Blogger steven said...

Age gives you the perspective to judge in context.

Younger kids and teenagers enjoy things that appeal to the core of their instinctive needs, like bright flashy colors, dancing teddy bears (comfort), sexual content, fart jokes, gun fights, car races, etc.

As you grow intellectually, you appreciate content that relates to your history, experience, and knowledge you've come to gain. Irony and satire gives us an appreciation of things on several levels, as well as a better understanding of what we are, why we are.

Fart jokes are just what they are.

11:15 PM  
Blogger Chris said...

It is true, that we're growing up.

But there's nothing wrong with pursuing and trying to maintain some of that childhood innocence. For example, take the virtue of wonder.

As a child, everything was so new and incredible to us--it truly was a fantasy world. As one grows up, however, one of the many dangerous habits is to begin developing a view of everything as ordinary, old, etc. But this is SO FAR from the truth. Does life ever really cease to be extraordinary? Should it not always be extremely amazing, the very fact that we exist? Or even the fact that a tree exists, or a dog, or dirt, or colors, or water, or the air we breathe? The fact of Being--existence--should spark a childlike sense of awe and wonder (perhaps even fear and humility), if we really take the time to consider it. It becomes harder to do so as we grow older, with busier and busier lives, and more and more distractions.

I recently heard an interesting thought on growing older and maturing: we ought to remain childlike (sense of wonder, humility, etc.), just not childish.

8:47 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

So how long till steve is old enough to appreicate Masked and Anonymous?

9:46 PM  
Blogger steven said...

How long? Surely you mean, how long of a cocaine line I'd have to snort to appreciate Masked and Anonymous?

Very long.

10:38 PM  
Blogger Brad said...

Steve,

If you're looking to get messed up, try heroin. I know that's not as "long", but that way you can be blitzed before the FBI warning is over!

11:51 PM  
Blogger JZ said...

I just saw the dreamers too... I thought it sucked.

12:13 AM  
Blogger Brad said...

Just to clarify, I don't want people thinking I actually ENJOYED that movie, but I went from not understanding it at all to at least understanding the point they were making (which can easily be lost among the hymen). In the wake of Justin's comment, I just wanted it to be known that I'll probably never watch it again.

12:10 PM  

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