Am I Childish?

It's a question that I ask myself a lot.

So, why is it a question that I ask myself so much? Well...I like a lot of stuff for kids. I mean, a lot of stuff. For example:

I collect My Little Pony toys. I reject the appellation of "Brony," though. Not because I have any kind of disdain for Bronies, but because I am not really that into the Friendship is Magic line, which is what Bronies are primarily into. But when I say that I collect My Little Pony, I don't mean I have a few ponies. I have over 350 of them, not counting duplicates. I constantly scout garage sales, thrift stores, and eBay in hopes of finding G1 or G2 ponies to add to my collection. They are all organized in roughly chronological order of release.

After a rough day at work, I like to unwind by watching SpongeBob SquarePants. Yeah. That's right. I like it because it's cute and innocent (for the most part--there are those occasional adult jokes in there). It's mind-numbing and just a great way to unplug my brain for some silliness.

Most of the shows I am currently watching are for children. Star Wars Rebels, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir are the three main ones. The only show I'm following which is not for kids is Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. And when I watch shows, I get really into them. Like, a lot. I tend to obsess a little bit. Which makes me feel especially childish.

I love a lot of kids' movies. One of the highlights of this year has been going to see Zootopia, which I absolutely loved! I love Kung Fu Panda, I love a lot of Pixar movies, Disney movies, and so on and so forth.

That's a lot of kid stuff for an adult to be into. Furthermore, I enjoy YA fiction quite a bit. Something not exactly aimed at my age group. So, yeah. Does that make me childish? 

A lot of people would say that yes, that does make me childish. Not to stereotype, but most of these people are in the Baby Boomer generation. They see youthful interests as an indication of immaturity. However, I think that immature behavior is an indication of immaturity, not choice of entertainment.

I tell myself that no, I am not childish. I cook my own meals, I clean my own house (sometimes), I show up on time to work and work my butt off once I'm there, and I sit down and do a budget with my husband every pay period. I even stick to that budget--something that took a lot of time and effort to finally convince myself to do. At almost thirty years old, I should hope that I am not childish. I don't have the thought processes of a child, at least.

When I really think about what "childish" means, I think of terms like "selfish," "petty," and "irresponsible." These are characteristics that even the most sophisticated and mature individual displays from time to time, since none of us are perfect. Anyone can have moments of childishness, but being childish means having them more often than not.

So if you're in the same boat as me, wondering if you're childish because of youthful interests, then fear not. You aren't childish.

Neither am I.