Time-out.

When I was little, going to time-out was the worst. Not necessarily because I felt bad about whatever it was that I had done, but mainly because it was so boring. I hated being idle.

Now, I would be absolutely ecstatic if someone sent me to time-out. In fact, I’d probably skip my way over to the time-out chair. That chair that I used to loathe so much when I was younger, oh how I’d love to sit there for a few minutes (or even a few hours!) now. It would be such a nice break, such a nice escape. A time to just sit, a time to just releax, a time to do absolutely nothing, a time to just be.

That’s it, young lady! Time-out for you! Go sit in that chair for 30 minutes. And you can’t do anything! And I better not hear one word about it…or you’ll be there even longer.

Ahhh, how nice would that be? For someone to forbid me from doing anything, for someone to forbid me from even speaking.

Ha! If I was sent to time-out right now, you better believe I’d open up my mouth to “complain” about it. Yes, just so I could stay there longer!

Wow. What a concept. Too bad I didn’t appreciate the glory of the time-out when I was younger.

“If you say that, you won’t get ice cream!”

Life used to be so simple.

My biggest worries: Will I get in trouble for talking too much at school today? Will Mom make me repeat my times tables in the car again? And most importantly…will I get to eat ice cream after dinner tonight?

The promise of ice cream (or a threat to withhold it) could get me to do just about anything as a little girl.

I remember the night my Mom went on her first date – a blind date! – with the man that would eventually become my incredible step-father. She was telling me about him before he came to pick her up and made the mistake of telling me that his name was “Mickey.” I was 5 at the time so of course I thought that this was the most hilarious thing I had ever heard and decided that I would greet him by calling him “Mickey Mouse.”

If you say that, you won’t get get any mint chocolate chip ice cream after dinner tonight!

My babysitter knew exactly what to say to make sure I kept my mouth shut.

Fast forward 19 years…

What I wouldn’t give to be worried about ice cream now. Don’t get me wrong, ice cream still consumes my thoughts on a regular basis. But the delicious thoughts are somehow far more complicated than they were when I was 5. Ice cream isn’t just a simple indulgence anymore. Ice cream is now a way to temporarily escape the harsh and consuming realities of a grown up world.

Oh yes, life used to be so simple.