I Won't Grow Up

Last week, while on vacation, I saw a stubborn young boy throw a huge fit when his parents told him it was time to leave the pool, end his vacation, and go home.

“I don’t want to go, and I don’t want to grow up,” he shouted at his parents.

The parents were none too amused, but I thought, “You go, little dude. I’m right there with you.”

I am sixty-four years old, and I still don’t want to leave the pool, much less end a vacation when it’s time, nor do I want to grow up.

The term "Peter Pan Syndrome" was coined by psychologist Dan Kiley in his 1983 book, The Peter Pan Syndrome: Men Who Have Never Grown Up. This pop psychology term describes adults who avoid responsibilities, resist commitment, and struggle with emotional or financial maturity. They prioritize fun over responsibility.

But putting it that way takes all the fun out of it.

Some of the kings and queens of arrested development include former child stars like Michael Jackson (Neverland, anyone?), Judy Garland, and Britney Spears. Two out of three died from their own vices, and the third is well on her way to the same fate.

But you don’t have to take it to the edge of insanity to let a little childishness take the edge off.

My sister-in-law and I atop a Ferris Wheel

As for me, I’ve been known to eat dessert before dinner (life is short and unpredictable). 

I love carnivals, rides, arcades, pinball machines, and the Haunted Mansion at Disney World. 

I dread summer’s end; it makes me feel melancholy, as if I still have to go back to school every Labor Day. 

I celebrate Halloween and Christmas with childlike abandon. I wear Halloween pajamas, decorate for every holiday, and stop just short of leaving out cookies and milk for Santa.

Oh, and I was never really suited for work.

Favorite coffee mug

Joe enjoys it when I use my “Peter Pan” coffee mug. I am "Peter Pan" to our great-nephew. Like my fictional counterpart, I refuse to grow up to avoid the responsibilities, boredom, and limitations of adult life, preferring to live in a world of endless adventure and freedom.

Endless adventure and freedom surpass adulthood any day.

The answer is to hold onto the magic of youth while keeping a touch of responsibility.

But I never forget – or stop being – the little boy in the pool.

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