I’ve been feeling particularly unmotivated the last few months, especially in my classes. I think it stems partly from my overall distaste for Statistics, and feeling like I would rather do anything but study for that class. Couple that with the discussions with my husband about being too responsible, wasting our young lives, and generally wondering if we should do “something stupid”, and I’ve got a strong case for wishing I wasn’t an adult! The adults always say that the kids never know what they have, specifically in college, where it’s, “the most amount of fun with the least amount of responsibility.” Maybe that’s true, and maybe, since I wasn’t stupid in college, I’m getting the itch to be stupid now.

The funny part, is that “stupid” amounts to watching a movie instead of studying for Stats, or sleeping in and arriving at the office on time, instead of early. It’s choosing to eat pizza instead of a salad, and only going for a 20 minute run, when I probably could’ve sucked it up for a 45 minute run. My husband mentioned that we should be stupid and just go to Spain next weekend. I responded that a trip like that wouldn’t work, because I have rehearsal and class, but maybe we could go after I finish my show and my semester! THAT’S not stupid, that’s planning! We’re both incredibly strategic about our careers, so finding the right time to be stupid has never really been an issue. Our responsibility has paid off, with good jobs, financial security, and a generally happy life.

But, then you hear the stories about those couples who randomly decided to quit their jobs and go trekking around the world for a year. We could be that couple! I am learning that the world has so many amazing experiences to offer, and sitting at a desk until we’re 60 is probably more stupid than skipping rehearsal to take a trip, or taking a semester off from school to do something I’m really passionate about in my personal life. What’s even more ironic, is that when I take the time to do something stupid, like spend a whole weekend making cards, or going to a concert instead of hitting the books, I come back to my tasks much more motivated, with a fresh perspective. I think I need to do more stupid things, because in the end, they’re not really stupid. They’re refreshing, invigorating, and generally remind me I really like my responsible, adult life. I’d like to say I’m making progress in this area, and my first thought while writing this post was to make it a challenge, where we all agree to do something stupid today. The response to such a challenge? “Well, let’s make it tomorrow, since I have an exam tonight. I can’t very well do something stupid on an exam day. Oh, this weekend is pretty free, let’s push the challenge to the weekend. Wait, no, rehearsal. Ok, hmm….” So, I must say, I can’t even issue the challenge! Help me out, readers: when is the last time you did something “stupid”, and it turned out that it wasn’t stupid at all?