What's happened to us?

Don't you miss it?

Sitting around a television getting blasted with commercials every ten minutes is not spending time together. When I go hang out with friends it's always going out to eat, seeing a movie, or playing video games. No one really does anything anymore. Instead we go out and consume something, whether it be media, food or alcohol.

Don't you remember running around in the woods behind a friend's neighborhood? We used to follow creeks and streams through the woods for hours before heading home. We would play roller hockey in the street. We would spend an entire day at a swimming pool playing Marco Polo and Toothpaste (Categories). Months of free time would be dedicated to learning yo-yo tricks and kick-flips on our skateboards.

When did we stop actually doing things instead of just consuming? When was the last time you went fishing or hunting? When was the last time you threw pottery? Why haven't you gone rock climbing in years? Have you even thought about going out and exploring in the woods?

What is wrong with us? When did going to the mall and looking for things we don't need become a pastime?

It's like our lives have turned into a series of micro-transactions in a cellphone application. We buy a few hours of entertainment here and there. You can drive through a neighborhood on a Saturday and you won't see a single kid out and about playing. The thing is, everyone comments on it! "Ah, when we were kids we wouldn't have been stuck inside all day playing video games." "Kid's these days don't play outside enough". Well neither do you.

Yes everything costs money, but don't trick yourself into thinking that you have to buy something to do something. You don't have to purchase experiences. An enjoyable life is not a subscription.

Go outside and play. Throw a damn baseball or a frisbee with your neighbor on a strip of grass somewhere. If you do get stuck inside, play a board game or something. Stop buying fun and just go have it.