“Humor helps us to think out of the box. The average child laughs about 400 times per day, the average adult laughs only 15 times per day...

...What happened to the other 385 laughs?"

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Such a cliche question, that it's almost been trademarked. I, personally, don't mind that question because I've known what I want to do since as far back as I can remember. Even in kindergarten, when I'd firmly tell the teacher that when I grew up I was going to be a clown, not one of those fake clowns, I'd tell her, but a real wholesome clown. I also had on my list that I was going to be a figure skater, a doctor, a gymnast, a lawyer, and a teacher.

Then my teacher, with a smile on her face, would ask me how I was going to operate on patients with a big red nose.

I quickly dropped those plans. The point is, my aspirations to be a lawyer have always been somewhere in the mix, and as those other occupations dropped away I was left with that.

That's what I want to do when I grow up. Who I want to be is something completely different.

We've all, every one of us, has had that teacher, sub, uncle, counselor or friend's parent whose coolness has completely touched us. Their ability to laugh off something that any other adult would freak over or give us some "knucks" when we told a really good joke caught our attention. Their chill factor is what makes them so amiable.

That's who I want to be. I want to be somebody who's at ease and relaxed. People who're a party. Uptight adults scare me. Well, they don't frighten me, per se, but they're just an absolute bore to be around.

Take for example, my mother. God knows I love that woman, but she can sometimes be a bit too strict when it comes to hygiene, cleanliness, and organization. I try to explain to her that part of being a teenager is having a messy room, but no matter what I say she still feels like I should abide by her standards of neatness.

One of my friends's parents is probably one of the coolest adults I know. Actually, probably THE coolest. They both share the same interests in music, they go to concerts and shows together, and she and her father both love Urban Outfitters, and will oftentimes go shopping together. Sometimes I'll call her up and ask her to go out some weekend, and she'll decline saying that she's hanging out with her folks.

I know many people who'd say that kind of lax parenting isn't good for a child. In fact, I'd say just the opposite. Her being my only example, doesn't exactly make this scientific, but she's one of those genuine good kids. Her reasoning for getting in trouble isn't that she's afraid she'll get caught, but it's that she knows something's wrong, or she knows that she'll really disappoint her parents.

That's what I want to be, not just when I grow up, but obviously in general. Somebody who's easy to relate to, knows how to have a good time, and is an all around liked person.