July 20, 2003 | 1:03 AM Central Time
Holy Temple of Prepubescence

Time is an intangible, inconsequential, nebulous concept, which is easy to measure, though it seems to pass too quickly.

I suppose everyone has at least some form of deep connection to childhood. They were the golden years, when we could wake up late, sit around in footy pajamas until we finally felt filled with cartoons and sugar-coated cereal, and bound out into the sunlight for a day of scorching ants with a magnifying glass, giggling at their struggle. And sometimes, the "real world" makes me wish I could make a fort out of pillows and duck away.

And still, even though I am almost 17, an official �adult-like figure,� I can�t help but allow my eyes to sparkle whenever someone mentions Jean Gray. It�s like the 17year old girl that loves cute boys combines with the 10-year old boy who loves superheroes, and they immediately have a party in my brain.

It�s that common familiarity of putting in a full day of work, feeling, shockingly, like a �grown up,� and then going home to be magically healed by the familiar tones of the Playstation firing up.

While flipping channels the other day, I noticed that the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have made a comeback. I spent my childhood fascinated with these amphibians (or are they reptiles?) that swam around in glowing ooze, and became majestic heroes. And now, they�re back for a whole new generation. Time seems to repeat itself in 9.7 year cycles, meaning we�re just about due for another swarm of pogs.

And maybe it�s time to pull out that moth-eaten Members Only jacket.

I consider it simple self-indulgence to be like a child again, for a few hours at a time. It�s part of the connection, part of what I owe to the kid I was, and it offers me insight on who I am supposed to be.

Besides, the new Harry Potter book came out a few days ago, and so it is only a matter of time until I lock myself in a Holy Temple of Prepubescence and get lost in another childhood story.

�A part of growing up is to know when to let things go, or when to realize that certain things don't have a use in your life anymore - and you're just holding on to them for no reason.�

before | after

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Goodbye... and EFF YOU! - January 14, 2004
This... sucks. - November 30, 2003
High on Life... and hyper as hell. - November 28, 2003
Happy Thanksgiving, not so happy. - November 27, 2003... Thanksgiving Day
100 exciting things about me... hehe,.. not. - November 25, 2003