We never truly value our childhood, do we? Until we are no longer children, that is. We look into our teenage years with keen anticipation and when we become teenagers, we look forward to adulthood with the same, if not a higher level of anticipation.

Then adulthood dawns on us and we find it’s not quite what we expected. For one thing, there’s no true transition between any of these stages. For another, we find we are burdened with a long list of things we should like and shouldn’t like, conveniently tucked under the blanket of terms like maturity and responsibility.

In fact, we are expected to stop liking some things we’ve liked all our life and start liking things we’ve always despised. To do this would make us true adults. I wonder what that makes me, for I have hung on to some great stuff from adolescence and have looked on with avid disinterest at proclaimed adult pastimes.

The following are the top five things I was expected not to like the moment I got into adulthood. Things I still pretty much adore:

5. Sneakers (or Fly Kicks are Quite Slick)

Sneakers are arguably the most beautiful piece of clothing on a fully dressed person. They come in numerous shapes and colours and are assumed by some people to be strictly for children and teenagers. It really baffles me that people think so but maybe it has something to do with the whole shapes and colours thing. I have found that my enthusiasm for sneakers has not been dampened by my entering into my 20s. I understand the importance of putting on some formal shoes for certain occasions but I’d still wear sneakers the other three-quarters of the time. I should add this: not all sneakers are beautiful; some look liked failed experiments in inedible pig parts. For the most part though, sneakers are great.

4. Cake (or Because I’m a guy, I can’t like cake?)

I’m keeping a straight face as I write this because even people in my generation would look at me askance if they heard me proclaim this in a public gathering. I proclaim it, nonetheless. I refuse to be put in the box labeled “You are an adult and a male, therefore you cannot like cake”. Cake tastes really great and there are so many types I haven’t eaten which I’m ready to explore. Sponge cake reigns supreme for now.

3. Animated movies (or If it’s too shiny, it’s childish)

If detractors had their way, we would be watching cartoons under blankets at two in the morning or inside our closets at break time. Basically, we would be watching them in secret, sort of like pornography. The prejudice against animated movies is quite unfounded, if viewed objectively. (Aren’t all prejudices?) Most folk assume that anything animated is silly and only for childish entertainment, specially designed to hold children’s attention because of their whimsical quality. They label everything animated childish.

They stand by this assertion even while staring at ”seriously-drawn” art or even 3D-animated characters which closely mirror real-life images. I mean, you may have a problem with the animated flick “Beowulf”, but that problem cannot be its looks. On closer inspection, animated movies usually have great storylines and striking humour. Add that to their ability to easily handle “far-fetched” material as a result of their very nature and you have a winning combination. Watch any animated movie or series and you’ll hear hundreds of puns and be treated to countless metaphors. Every single cartoon I watched as a child and re-watched as an adult has proven to be a treasure chest of timeless truths and invaluable insight. I realize now that I was too young to understand half of it as a child; I was simply moved by the glossy visuals. Watch an animated movie today, with an open mind and be amazed at what you shall find.

2. Loud Music (or Turn Down For What?!)

I am supposed to not like loud music at this point. I am supposed to not even like rap or rock, having outgrown the youthful exuberance of such “wild” music. I am supposed to have grown a refined taste for only classical music, played at low volume. I have actually grown to appreciate classical music, alongside various other genres, but I still like it loud. By loud, I don’t mean deafening. Not necessarily. And as long as I’m not constituting a nuisance, as long as I’m in my personal space, I still love to play my music loud.

1. Video games (or Your Girlfriend’s Real Rival)

This is probably the biggest one of all. The poster child of everything adolescent, everything a young person must leave behind before packing his luggage and leaving (mostly reluctantly) for Adultland. Some of us sneak some consoles in the luggage though and set them up in plain sight when we reach Adultland, to the consternation of some our fellow adults. I’m aware that a lot has been said about video games: they’ve been called time-wasters and they’ve been called childish (that word again). They’ve even been called catalysts for violence. I do not agree with any of the above statements.

I have been playing video games for years now and I have come across different games that have elicited very different responses from me. Some have made me think (like “Spec Ops: The Line”) and some have challenged me mentally (like ”Limbo”, a 2D marvel released in 2010 that outshone many other 3D games). I have played games that were pure fun and mayhem (“Injustice: Gods among us” and “007: Bloodstone”). I have played games that were frustrating for me because they challenged my reflexes and my hand-eye coordination (I’m looking at you, “NFS: Most Wanted 2013”).

Video games task you on all levels, they help your decision making and they entertain you. I’m not saying that based on any contrived research published anywhere but based on experience, nothing more.

It’s sad that most adults still have a soft spot for a lot of things they loved in their earlier years but won’t even go near them simply because they are deemed childish or immature.

Well, I am an adult and I still like all of the above-mentioned things. Proudly.

This post originally appeared on The Keyboard Ninja.

Photo: hatasvadasz articsoka/Creative Commons