Adulthood that's where it went

My last post generated quite a few comments to me so I wanted to continue my thought.  I asked where did fun go...and I mean that crazy, heady type of fun you experience in your late teens early twenties.  The truth is that adulthood is where it went.  At some point you decide to become a grown up and that means, holding down a job, paying your bills, renting or owning a home and caring about things like credit ratings and laundry.

Work eats up a lot of my time, I'm lucky I like my job, care about what I do and sometimes it is even genuinely fun.  The downside is you have to go, you have to do things you don't always like and sometimes is is genuinely hard work.

Then there is housework.  The upside of work is income which means you now get to own things.  The downside of owning things is you have to take care of them.  For every outfit you own you will need to clean it.  That comfy sofa needs to be cleaned occasionally.  The plants need water, the cat needs food. Feed the cat enough and you'll get to clean his litter box.  The alternative is to not own things and I've been trying to downsize.  There are lots of people living with radically small amounts of things and I appreciate them but just can't seem to get there.  So I've chosen the housework route.

Then there is money.  You need it.  I work hard to cover rent on my fairly modest place, to pay my bills, and buy a few things to spoil myself, my family and friends.  My budget could be tighter and I have made some choices like not having a roommate that up my need for money.  So I need to work for my money and so I value it so running out and spending a whole bunch of silly things suddenly isn't as appealing.

Finally is family and friends.  As I get older I realize I value time with my family more so rather than go out dancing I choose to visit my grandma for tea.  Part of this gets tied up with my friends having kids too. When I am available and have an evening off they are busy putting little guys to bed and forced to choose between sleep or paying a babysitter.  I don't blame them for choosing their beds :) I choose mine most times too.

So suddenly it makes sense why life isn't as "fun" as it used to be.  So maybe I just need to redefine what is fun?