Wanna Play? Or Are You Afraid of the Commitment?

I spend several lunch breaks walking through the gully where I used to grow up. It feels like I spent half my life in the gully. Every time I go there, I'm reminded of some new memory that took place down there. Today as I looked up at the homes of some of my earliest friends, I was surprised at how many memories popped into my head at once.

Then I started thinking about how back then we never planned any activities. We just called each other up and asked "Wanna play?" It wasn't until we got together that we talked about what we were actually going to do. And even on days when we couldn't think of something to do, we still had more fun than we would have had we stayed at our own homes.

Why is it different now? It seems like most friends want to know exactly what we're doing before we get together. And even when you have a plan, it can be hard to get people to commit to anything. I think the problems may have started when it became politically incorrect to say "play." I realize that "playing" sounds childish, but doesn't "hanging out" sound like you're gonna sit in a room and be boring? Go ahead and get rid of the term "playing," but replace it with something that at least sounds enticing. Next, why do you always need to know exactly what we're gonna do before committing? Are you holding out for a better offer? And if you do get a better offer, I'm I uninvited? Because to me, that sounds more childish than offering to "play." Why not help me come up with something fun to do? We might actually come up with something that you'd enjoy if you contribute some ideas.

I always seem to have more fun when I'm around people I like than on my own--even if the activity isn't anything I care about doing. I think that's why there are so many childhood memories I love. I don't understand the need to prescreen all "hang outs" for optimum entertainment.