10 Best

I was speaking to my much older brother (jokes) on Father's Day and he mentioned that my nephew would be turning 16 soon.  As we started down the usual path of my how time flies, I stopped and said, "well I hope you told him this is it. He's got 10 good years!"

You remember my brother, right?

We went on to analyze the triumphs of turning 16 and enjoying the last year's of high school (in our case that meant partying). Then moving on to the freedom and independence that college brings (aka better parties) and then the joy and ignorance which is early twenties (parties every night of the week). That's when you think you are grown, but you are still having a lot of fun and that's the first sign that you are not grown!

We reminisced about turning 25 and being able to rent a car with no hassles and more importantly get into the 25 and over clubs (do those still exist?).  At any rate, I know I did it up right in my 10 Best.  Everything wasn't coming up roses all the time, and the scars of romantic trauma may live on indefinitely, but damn I had fun! 

I once had to make a list of goals for this very serious seminar and I listed as my main goal to, have fun and be fun". This goal was not welcomed enthusiastically by the 40 somethings leading the seminars.  I of course thought, you don't get it because you haven't committed to having fun.  Fun is a state of mind a choice. So, just choose it!

Fast forward to 41 years old and fun is definitely a choice.  The only problem is all the other choices that have to be made for me and my family.  Oh there is certainly still fun to be had.  Just ask anyone sitting near my crew at the Beyonce concert (correction, standing cause sitting down would have been heresy).  But that fun required two or more months of planning. 

School ends tomorrow and I've been counting down to the start of summer as if I was the student.  Now it's here and I realize I've planned a summer of fun for Duckie and diddly squat for me.  I saved, begged and borrowed to give her a summer to remember (sleep away camp then day camp then sleep away camp again).  But when I think about summer plans for myself, I'm much less willing to come up with the cash.

So this is a wake up call to myself and to anyone else out there.  Let's choose fun, no matter how much planning it requires.  We owe it to ourselves to show the next generation that an old school party is a new school party and a new school party don't stop! (Sing it with me).

Right, so 4 minutes left before school pick up. I've got to run, but hit me up if you want to participate in some summer FUN. Talk soon ... BMK