Live It! This used to be my playground.

Clearly, the inner child in all of us is still very much alive and can be unleashed quite easily. The behavior that some people fall back into at certain points in their life is slightly disturbing at times. For instance: listening in on two love birds and the way they talk to each other often turns into an episode not even the Teletubbies could‘ve made up. Or the sheer enthusiasm some experience when they spot a friend at the playground (grown-ups call it a Bar or a Club or the nearest bathroom stall). Obviously, even a slight cynic can’t resist the fascination with child-activities that one might be too old for, but that are entertaining and fun nevertheless.

It's no wonder we get to a point in our adult life when we must ask: really, what is there to - realistically - add to the concept of joy and excitement once you pass a certain age? To make matters worse, that particular age may vary depending on your social status, group of friends, lack of good looks or intelligence - just look around you and you get the idea! Or better: you are with who you surround yourself with. Depressing, I know! Anway, for now let's just say you're 30+, blessed with extraordinary good looks, a college degree, a bunch of cheerful friends and a healthy appetite for alcoholic beverages and mood enhancers.

What kind of appropriate, light hearted entertainment won’t be regarded as bloody stupid and silly but still factors in the above mentioned staples of your life: friends, money, addictions?

The perfect idea of entertainment for me would be something that engages me to participate, fascinates me, moves me, makes me angry, makes me sad, gives me a good old laugh, educates me, angers me, might bore me at some point but always grabs my attention. Simple as that one might think. Though I admit that entertainment can mean a bunch of different things to so many people. Admittedly, things I personally might find an absolute snooze fest could be first class entertainment for others. This knowledge should be considered when choosing a circle of friends as this will be crucial for it's long lasting success.

Example: Museum exhibitions about science? Yawn! Browsing through book and music stores for hours to find that 1! CD or out of print book? Hurrah! Smartphone games (or should I call them electronic do-it-by-yourself-games-for-the-lonely-people)? Yuck, lame! Aggressive paintball in an open field, a competitive drinking game that leads to full on kinky adventures or watching foreign movies without subtitles and figuring out what the hell that cinematic disaster from Eastern Europe is actually about? Count me in! 

You see, all those things might be fun or might be dreadful but at least they get you involved in some way or the other. Now, try to fit those pill-popping, poor-as-dirt but exceptionally hot friends of yours into this and you will have to admit; entertainment and joy and fun and excitement is clearly something you should‘ve experienced in your early twenties! Preferably with other peoples friends.

Nowadays it is only about surviving 'til the next weekend. Once the work-week is over you can truly relax and let your hair down and gather with those people you might call best buddies (the ones that come from various different backgrounds, cultures, genders, educational upbringing, financial and/or academic status, religions or preferences like straight/gay/trans or a healthy mix of everything), that ended up in the same city as you have and try to get by somehow. Only when all of you are together at the playground of your choice, maybe neatly perched on a velvet cushion or a three-legged-bar stool, will those various ideas of what might be the ultimate pleasure principle arise and rear it's ugly head. Which - let us be completely honest here - basically means only one thing: You will get wasted and turn into a grunting idiot, a whiney kid, a stubborn little boy, a selfish prick, a narcissistic diva or a melodramatic asshole! Choose either and be assured that your friends will make up the rest of that truly eclectic bunch.

My point is … and I do have one: You are bound to crash some hopes and dreams you once had and make some enemies along the way - especially when you are partying at your playground. But then again, we all have one thing in common at this place and therein lies the beauty of friendship/addiction/desperation: Craving the joy and happiness and unabashed excitement we used to have as a child is what we yearn for all week, hence we do everything in our power to revitalize said feeling. Just try and remember; Wasn’t it great back in the days of that silly childhood when a simple puppet made out of a sock was all we needed to feel entertained and overcome with laughter? It didn’t need much to get us all riled up, right? No fancy gadget, no electronic thingy, no overpriced whatever - just some good old-fashioned mindless get together of friends was all we needed to keep us occupied and happy! Slight alterations are, of course, important. If you hit your thirties (or worse, forties), you just need to adjust. Sock puppets won't get the crowd ecstatic anymore, believe me, I tried. But that same kind of simplicity is what makes it all the more adventurous to be creative these days. A couple if vodka shots will do the rest anyways.

Now, I demand that we all just let our inner child out of the cage again (at least from friday to sunday) because when we were young, e.g. kids, we did not care too much and just lived for the moment. Life did not seem like a neverending nightmare at all - those were the good times: so let us reclaim them. Also, most of us were cute and super-stylish - at least I was, really, I’ll post a pic - and a nice look might help when age hits you hard in the face. Anyway, regain what is rightfully ours and worry no more.

In conclusion I want my playground to be a gathering of like-minded people, carefree behavior and a place without shame or regrets. I want to feel like the boy I once was ... 

But please, don‘t bring actual children or better yet, don‘t have any of your own in the first place. Those little motherfuckers are sure as hell disturbing, nerve-wrecking creatures and kill your hard earned (and paid for) buzz straight away. And we are old, so time is precious ...