12 Synthetic Dancing Princesses.

How did you spend your Friday night? I am coaching little Griffin through the latest PS2 game I rented for her from Gamefly. You have to do little dances with Barbie to collect gems to help a kitten rescue a princess. It's not so terrible actually. I'll try to explain.

When I worked in England, there was a German guy who came in every Thursday night and drank baby mixers of Canada Dry. Since non-drinkers in England stick out like sore thumbs, I once asked why he was so fond of the ginger ale. His answer went something like this: "The amount you can party or go crazy in one lifetime is like a candle wick. Some people burn through theirs quicker than others, and I am all done." If I were to apply that analogy to my own life, the flame would have spread to the curtains and burnt down the entire house, ages ago.

I don't think it's unusual for maturity to be a sudden and conscious, black and white decision - and not necessarily a gradual progression. If I were married, had a mortgage or my own children I'd have mellowed out years ago, naturally. My personal development is synthetic and born of necessity. And I like it.