The Things that Come to Mind While Snow-Shoveling

Random thought time: Yesterday, while clearing the walk, this came to my mind:  All the craziness of life began when "play" turned into "hang out".  Think about this.  "Hey!  Wanna come over and play?"  How old were you the last time you said that?  10?  11?  Basically, things were pretty good then.  You still had an excuse to do whatever silly things you felt like doing with your friends, you were in elementary school, and there wasn't much to worry about.  Then, 13 (or so) hit, and it was "Hey!  Wanna hang out after school?"  And, the world exploded!  Boyfriends/girlfriends, breakups, weight insecurity, grade obsession, college applications, jobs.  "Play" kept these things away, but "hang out" invites them in to cause a riot.  And, "hang out" is a clever little phrase.  It has a way of telling you when it wants to be said. "People are gonna laugh at you if you say that little old p-word," it whispers in your ear.  "C'mon, I'm so much more grown-up sounding!"  It convinces you, jumps out of your mouth, and leads (or, maybe, kicks) you down the path of adolescence.  Oh, "play", I'm sorry my 13-year-old self retired you.