Adult Kids Don’t Understand Joys of Being Grown-Ups
About Beverly Beyette’s “Stop, Smell the Crayons” (Sept. 9): To all you “adult children” out there, perhaps you don’t understand. Being a grown-up has it all over the dubious joys of childhood. You may do exactly as you please with no one telling you to go to bed or what to eat or do your homework or take out the trash.
If it’s that important to you, go ahead and assume a funny name (“Name tags are a wonderful way for people to hide,” says “Dr. Play,” Howard Papush. Hide from what?), sniff away at the crayons, play pretend games or Duck-Duck-Goose. Who’s stopping you? More to the point, why do you need some Dr. Play to give you permission to do so? And at a price?
Peter Pan Syndrome is rapidly reaching epidemic proportions in this country. It doesn’t seem to be making for a happier society, as people emulate the cruelty and self-centered pettiness endemic in childhood, which is the dark side of cuteness and youth.
The happiest people I know, myself included, are adults who don’t need to hide from the worries of the world, who don’t require supervised play, who derive fun from today and tomorrow, not yesterday.
KEVIN DAWSON
Los Angeles