Since the time that humans starting growing older we’ve been trying to discover a way to stay young. Everyone from Ponce De Leon to Rod Stewart have discussed staying for…ever… young. Our society goes to great lengths to keep from getting older. From actors using Botox to refusing to play any role above a high schooler (I’m talking to you James Van Der Beek) it’s become taboo to grow old. It’s almost as if people have completely forgotten how the aging process works.

It’s not just Hollywood that tries to stay young though. The fact is, the majority of people I know preferred life when they were younger. Back in the day when responsibilities were minimal and the biggest concern was whether mom packed a pb&j or a turkey on white. (The worst days occurred when she got lazy and abandoned the sandwich entirely, opting to pack you a yogurt, chips, and an apple. Swiss cake rolls were a nice dessert though.) My siblings and I turn to classic television and movies to hold on to our youth. On consecutive birthdays the four of us, who now range from 22 to 31, have gotten each other complete seasons of Boy Meets World, Duck Tales, Tundercats, and Fraggle Rock on DVD. I have recently received the complete series of The Muppet Show as well. While we tell others that we watch these shows for the phenomenal acting, in reality what we love is the idea of sitting on mom and dad’s wrap around L-couch and eating Cool Ranch Doritos while trying to figure out what shenanigans Huey, Dewey, and Louie will get themselves into or guessing who Shawn Hunter will make out with next.

We watch these shows and reminisce about when we were young because life was simpler, if not better. Bills and rent didn’t exist and the biggest decision was usually if we should go swimming or play whiffle ball. The irony is that when you’re young you can’t wait to grow up and then as soon as it happens you wish you could go back. Maybe Benjamin Button has the right idea.

The question that makes me wonder is why everyone is obsessed with staying young. Is it the fear of death? Being old and alone? Is it being forgotten? For me the fear is growing up in general. Throughout high school and college I never knew what I wanted to do when I “grew up” and now that I have I’m even more lost. Advisers, parents and friends always told me it’d come to me but I ran out of time and an answer never showed itself. I never wanted to graduate and work a boring 9-5 like everyone else but at the same time I never really knew how to find a different option. It’s hard trying to build a better wheel. As nervous as I am about growing up I take solace in the fact that regardless of if we’re ready for it or not life is going to happen. Each day you wake up you have to live, whether you’re ready for it or not.

I guess in end the fact that life has caught up with me is actually my silver lining. It snuck up on me and gave me a right cross to the face. But I’ve discovered that that’s ok. Once you find out you can take a punch and not go down you start to get the confidence to fight back and that’s when the battle really starts to get interesting.