While you're still young

So, its obvious I'm obsessed with my youth. But I can't really help it. I had a long talk with my sister the other day and I think about this all the time anyways. People, mostly older people who "have lived" and want to share their wisdom, try to tell me all about saving money and being realistic and yadda yadda yadda. Well ya know what? I don't really feel like being completely realistic all the time. I like to dream, I like to imagine what my life could be and believe that I can make it happen for myself. Why do the old feel the need to crush the souls of the young? Is it because they are bitter? Is it because they feel they've been around the block and are trying to be helpful?

I know that life is tough. Trust me. I get it. I'm a smart young adult. But I also know myself. I know my determination. I know my desires. I know my limits and I know what I'm capable of. On second thought, sometimes I dont think I give myself enough credit for what I may be capable of. I think we are all much more capable than we think we are. But thats another post.

Here's the thing. I know its important to save money. Yes, I have a retirement savings plan through my job. I have had one since I got a job after graduating college. I get it. I also know its important to have money saved "just incase!" Well, thats a lot harder than it sounds. I dont make enough to put aside 3 months worth of emergency funds or whatever is suggested. And to boot, I'd rather enjoy myself than have all this money just sitting there not being used.

This is what I know, and what I'm really getting at. Life is short. Yes, I am planning for my future as one of these brilliant older adults. I'm practical enough to know to think ahead like that.

But what if I don't make it that far? Nobody can say whether or not theyre going to live long enough to be considered old. Shouldn't we be doing what we love and chasing our dreams now while we still can? The what-ifs in life are too great to put off living the life you want for yourself. I should be able to take chances. I should be able to see the world. I should be able to change jobs and move around until I find where I am most happy. I should be able to change my mind as much as I want. And I should be able to do it without older people judging my choices. There's so much responsibility ahead, and I want to handle it my own way. I used to think I needed to have my everything planned out. I'm really feeling like thats not a real thing. Maybe John Mayer is right(even if also kind of creepy and weird). "There's no such thing as the real world..."

Everytime I even just say "you know what I'd love to do..." I get bombarded with questions and statements like "Why do you want to do that?" "How are you going to do that?" "That's not going to be easy." "Well let me tell you..."

Sheesh.

The time to live is now. You may not understand my choices, my dreams. That's okay. Not everybody wants to live their life like me. Just do me a favor, and I'm going to steal from Lost here,

"Don't tell me what I can't do"

Have You Seen These???

Seriously. I'm asking because Kenneth and I are in desperate pursuit of these beloved treats. And not these stupid excuses for animal crackers:

We frequently go through cycles of foods. We'll become obsessed with something in particular and then move on to something else. Some of these delicacies have included: Oreos, Cracker Jack, Kettle Corn, Fruitables, French Toast Sticks, Orange Juice, and now the latest is yogurt. But nothing would make us happier than to find our ICED animal crackers. I used to have them as a kid, they USED to sell them at Hannaford, and now the only way you can get them is in one of those snack pack boxes where there's like 4 small packs in the box along with the stupid sprinkled kind. If you know where I can find a regular bag of these I'll be your best friend.

Actually, there's nothing in it for you but the simple pleasure of knowing you've helped feed an obsession and have made my life just a smidge better.

Feeling sick and sexified

I'm not terribly happy that I just used a Kesha(I refuse to put a $ sign in there by the way) reference as the title to my blog post. Especially since I don't think carrying a bottle of Jack around in your handbag is the key to a healthy and youthful lifestyle.

But at any rate, part of my determination to make the most of my younger years is to really and truly get in shape. And I really mean it this time. Not my typical "I have to get ready for swim suit season" that results in a monthly round of ab exercises from April to June and then just not caring anymore. I have known for a long while now that I'm not healthy. I may be at the right weight for my height, but I am not anywhere near actually being in shape. You know how I know this is true? When I run around with the kids in the multi-purpose room I get winded VERY VERY quickly. What kind of role model am I?

So my mind is set to exercise atleast 3 times a week. We got a Kinect a month or two ago and just recently bought Your Shape. Its a great game with personal training and gym games and it keeps track of your progress and calories burned. That coupled with Dance Central and I should be on my way to being able to handle going up a single flight of stairs without feeling like I'm having a heart attack.

That's an exaggeration, but still, I always forget how good I feel after I work out. Those endorphins are no joke. And its nice to know I can get them by doing something other than eating a can of chocolate frosting. Which also brings me to my second decision to try to eat a little better. I do alright overall, especially compared to my other half, but there's always room for improvement. See frosting comment above.

I know the key to feeling young in your older years is based on how active you are. If I want to set myself up for a healthy life later on its time to take responsibility for myself and make me into the best me I can be. Corny? Maybe. But you can't deny the truth in it.

Ready? And, break!

To breed or not to breed

That is the question. Actually, for most of my peers it really isn’t much of a question. I feel bombarded and overwhelmed with the number of people that I went to highschool with who have been having children, some since 2003. Some of these people are on to their 2nd or 3rd child. Holy. Crap. This just only continues to solidify the fact that I am nowhere near ready for a child. Yes. I understand that I am almost 26 years old. I understand that there are “child-bearing” years and the older you are when you have children the more high risk your pregnancy becomes, etc. etc.

But really now. I cannot fathom having to raise a child right now. I love babies. But parenting doesn’t stop after the first year. You’re a parent for life. They don’t go away. You can’t just stop being a parent. Children deserve all of their parents time, even though a lot of young parents seem to think otherwise. I dont want to give my time away like that. I like doing what I want, when I want to.

Recently, we have been talking about the possibility of not having children. Ever. There once was a time where the thought of 3 children sounded great. Then it got reduced to 2. Then 1. Now the possibility of 0 is inconsideration. This is surprising to some people. We’ve gotten mixed responses, some like:

“But you love children!” Yes. I do. But I dont have to take them home with me. Or worry about them constantly. Or pay for them. Or any of that other stuff that parents have to do vs a teachers responsibilities.
“You’re good people” Yes. We are. And no doubt that if Ken and I were to have a child they would be pretty awesome. But just because we’re “good” doesn’t mean we need or want to parent. Nobody should parent just because they “can.”
“It’s the point of life” Maybe once, when the world was less populated and most of your kids would get small pox and die and you’d have nobody to help tend to the crops. Life isn’t about procreation. Your life can be anything you want it to be, and populating the earth isn’t a necessity anymore.
“What about when you get old./What if one of you dies” Yes? What will having a child change? You can’t have a child as an insurance policy. Who’s to say that your child will be willing or able to care for you when you are older? What if you have a severely disabled child? You will be caring for them for their whole life. And what if one of us dies young? Would it be better to leave your partner as a single parent? How is that an improvement to circumstances?
“I want a grandchild/niece/nephew” Congratulations.


Are there certain reasons for having a child? Yes. Part of me thinks that it would be nice to have a little me running around. But is that a solid reason for having children? No. In fact its kind of selfish.



Obviously, nothing is final. We will definitely reevaluate our circumstances and goals when we reach our 30′s and see if children are something we truly want. But for now, I have a life to live. We have bigger adventures ahead of us. I want to experience the world before I’m tied down to the homestead. And I want to be able to do it without having to feel societal pressure to do otherwise.