"Actin' 20"

So, I'm sittin' around, not doin' much, readin' the guide lookin' for something to watch. I come across The Batman, so I say to myself, "Sweet. The Batman. Awesome." Well, something like that. Anyway, I watch it and of course it's cold. I mean, it's Batman, so I knew I wouldn't be disappointed. I stay tuned, like I was instructed to do by the Cartoon Network administration for Justice League: Unlimited. I could tell this was goin' to be a good night. It was. Remembering that Christmas is right around the corner, I figure why not ask for Justice League: Unlimited boxset. I mean, I am a big fan of boxsets. If you've ever been in my room, you'd know. My point is, it was brought up that perhaps I'm not actin' my age because I like cartoons and play videogames. That was the point where you could hear the '45 needle pulled up and that screechin' sound. That threw me for a loop because I believed my maturity had been brought into question. So I thought to myself a bit, and decided, "Yea, my maturity is being questioned." Here I am, answering that question.

Apparently, as it was presented to me, being a 20 year old prohibits me from watchin' certain things and doing certain things in my spare time. Alright, I can see that. I mean, I would to hate to see myself at this age in my one-piece jumpsuit with the feet in them and a diaper on. Or maybe pulling out my power morpher and fighting crime under an unknown identity (or believing I could).Or even collecting Pokemon Cards and battling my friends to see who was the Pokemon master. So, considering that I have once upon a time done all those things, does simply watching cartoons sound that bad? I would say that it depends on the cartoons I was watching, but, I must admit, I can get caught up in some Fairly Oddparents and Spongebob on the right day. So let's not go there.

Being the complex thinker that I am, I had to delve deeper into how I could defend my immature-implied status. I thought about it from outside my own point-of-view. I understand that maybe at my age, I should be doing more adult-like things with my time. Maybe studying, or watching something more educational. You know, like C-Span, or PBS. But, that's really boring. Even to adults who watch it, it's boring (which kinda begs the question of why it's still on the air). I feel like this, I would hate to see the type of person I would be if it were not for the leisure of watching cartoons and playing videogames. It's hard enough to catch me in a good mood during a typical work week, so imagine if I didn't have the small things to keep me grounded.


Honestly, I wouldn't call anyone who watches cartoons immature. Especially not me. I mean, I understand that the Bible says (dang, everything is in that book, huh?), "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things." That's true, but do many people really understand what that's saying? The key is that "I thought as a child." Meaning, I don't think that somewhere out there, all these things goin' on are really happening. I no longer believe that I can morph, I can't "catch 'em all" and I will never have fairy godparents (although, I'm still holdin' out on that one). But, I can maintain the innocence and belief of a child. That's why children are taught to belief in Santa, and the Easter Bunny and things of that nature because it's so innocent, and it teaches them to believe in something. You ever met anyone who didn't know what to believe in? Can't say that about a child. In turn, that belief gives them hope. Hope is hard to come by, and if you are lucky enough to have it, then it is hard to hold on too. Those of us who were given something to believe in have it easier to hold on to hope.


People are so quick to talk about how old they are, and what they won't do anymore. Or how mature they are and what they won't take part in anymore. And I almost feel bad for them because it's not that they are giving something up, but they are missing out. Me, I took what I watched on television from a young age and because of that, I have a very vivid imagination. That imagination, that brain-power to decipher what's real and what's not will take me so far in this life. Not everyone can look at something, and break it down on so many different levels like I've been told I can. And I have to thank, in part, my many hours in front of the tv. I would hate to not have an imagination. Being conservative, waking up the same way I did yesterday with the same things on my mind expecting the same things to happen. I like to think outside the box. Actually, I like to think about the possibility of the box being nonexistent. That way, all angles of possible outcome are covered. Areas that have never been gone over before will be discovered. And when I wake up in the morning, that fresh thought, that has never been thought of before, can take me to another place better than where I was yesterday.


I know that was long, but I hope you understand. I don't watch cartoons for childish reasons, although I maintain my child-like essence. My imagination is what fuses one with the other. Before you get so uptight and stressed out, think back to when you weren't stressed and had nothing to worry about, and tell me what was there then, that isn't now. Good luck. Don't be a failure, watch cartoons instead.