In my own personal life, I have begun trying to implement a particular change. I’ve been feeling a bit worn down by my daily routines and the events that I attend. I feel like I go, I sit, I meander, and I leave feeling like the world is a horrible place. Much of what I do in my social outings is barely removed from the social experience of a college student…
And no wonder!
So much of media has devalued a higher form of social event, mocking those who decide to behave in a way evolved past college. Anything past college is adulthood, and adulthood is bad.
I’ll take this concept further, and provide antidotes, but quickly I should explain the differences between said experiences!
Here are some examples of college vs. adult activities: - College: barhopping, breweries, house parties, Gimmick entertainment (axe throwing, minigolf, etc.), late-night fast-food runs. - Adult: symphonies, dinner parties, culinary adventurism, museums, high/low tea.
At 28, I am still finding myself primarily doing the former rather than the latter…
And of course, part of this is due to class. I am squarely in a middle-class American environment. What one does with one’s time is often due to such matters.
But it doesn’t have to be.
It isn’t like there is a large price disparity between the types of events mentioned. It is instead simply the proclivity to do one thing over the other. For me, I’d much rather exist in an environment that favors the latter rather than the former.
Now, I can’t help but believe that most adults find the latter to be more enjoyable as well, but are averse to it because of the potential for mockery from their peers or simply general intimidation. It also may partly have to do with an uncleaned mental state*, as much of the “adult” events are lower-stimulation.
Well, I can improve my immediate environment in solving the trepidations of intimidation and mockery, but the unclean mental states seem to be more of a result of the current format of our media. Of course, I’m doing my darndest to create an alternative, but much still needs to change.
OK, so to alleviate this, it is largely a choice to only go to such events. Once one starts spending time at events meant for adults, one would hope that a sort of chain reaction occurs and the events one attends are consistently those of class. If many people begin seeking out events of class, one would assume that resistance will fade, and the world will be better for it.
We need more adults.
*By this, I mean: is the person fearful of being with their thoughts? If you want to know if you have an unclean mental state, force yourself to walk alone for 30 minutes without any additional activities. Be alone with your thoughts and with nature. Is it pleasant or painful?