I Quit!

It’s funny how things happen sometimes. A friend recently sent me one of those cute “smile makers” that seem to manage to get you though your day.

The unique thing about this one was the timing. It was waiting for me upon my return from an unbelievably tough three days on the road! I won’t bore you with the details — just knowing it involved airplanes pretty much sums things up. It involved mechanical problems, weather delays, worthless food/hotel/taxi vouchers, three major airlines, and “no room at the inn” — all resulting in 17 of us having to spend the night sleeping in tremendously uncomfortable chairs or on the floor in the Dulles International airport in Washington D.C.

When I finally dropped my luggage just inside my door at home, I collapsed into an unconscious state feeling pain from head to toe. In awakening several hours later, a hot shower and a change of clothes brought me back to reality. I checked my current newspapers, magazines, and e-mail to find the usual growing level of CHAOS. However, I also found the following commentary, which really made a lot of sense. I had to smile as I thought how nice it would be, if only for a week or two, to be able to return to the uncomplicated life of a 6 year old. Take a minute and see if you don’t agree.

“My Resignation as an Adult”

I have decided I would like to accept the responsibilities of a 6 year-old again.

I want to go to McDonald’s and think that it’s a four-star restaurant and then be able to afford a movie afterwards.

I want to sail sticks across a fresh mud puddle and make a sidewalk with rocks and bask in the sun.

I want to think M&Ms are better than money because you can eat them.

I want to lie under a big oak tree with a drippy ice cream cone and run a lemonade stand with my friends on a hot summer’s day.

I want to return to a time when life was simple. When all you knew were colors, multiplication tables, and nursery rhymes, but that didn’t bother you, because you didn’t know what you didn’t know and you didn’t care. All you knew was to be happy because you were blissfully unaware of all the things that should make you worried or upset. I want to think the world is fair. That everyone is honest and good.

I want to believe that anything is possible. I want to be oblivious to the complexities of life and be overly excited by the little things again.

I want to live simple again. I don’t want my day to consist of computer crashes, mountains of paperwork, depressing news, how to survive more days in the month than there is money in the bank, doctor bills, gossip, illness, and loss of loved ones.

I want to believe in the power of smiles, hugs, a kind word, truth, justice, peace, dreams, the imagination, mankind, and making angels in the snow.

So … here’s my checkbook and my car keys, my credit card bills and my 401K statements. I am officially resigning from adulthood.

And if you want to discuss this further, you’ll have to catch me first, cause … TAG, YOU’RE IT!!

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services.