They say age is just a number, and I wholeheartedly agree. Even though every bit of my body looks 31, my friends often joke that I’m actually 12 because I make dirty jokes and can’t hold them in. I have to say, though, I’m quite OK with that assessment. The truth is, I hope to always stay true to myself, even if I always seem like some immature kid. What I really want is to enjoy every moment of my time here on this earthly purgatory. I want to forever be young at heart.

I love to laugh and have a good time, and that’s why I’ll forever be young at heart. You’ll still catch me at the fair or an amusement park, riding roller coasters and the ferris wheel. I can still kick it at the club, and I’ll always be able to get jiggy with the best of them. You may even catch me singing karaoke or slinging quarters at the arcade, all because I’m just a kid trapped in a quickly aging bag of bones.

I love eating ice cream and almost any type of candy, and that’s why I’ll forever be young at heart. You don’t need to tell me to count calories or check the sugar content of my favorite foods because honestly, I just don’t care. I devour greasy burgers with gusto and indulge in delightful milkshakes any chance I get. You may even catch me snacking on Doritos or Ritz Bits while I type away at work, all because I’m still a kid, both in my diet and at heart.

I don’t let the monotony of adulthood hold me down, and that’s why I’ll forever be young at heart. You will never see me balancing a checkbook or reading up on retirement plans… that stuff is all a snooze. I try my best to spice things up and fly by the seat of my pants when I can – I even booked a last-minute red-eye to California just to see my best friend. You won’t see me ever taking life too seriously or sitting too long with a frown on my face, because life’s too short to not release your inner child.

Our bodies age, it’s true, but getting old is a state of mind. I want to laugh and love life without letting all those depressing adult matters weigh me down. After all, what’s life if you can’t enjoy a bowl of ice cream and a late-night giggling session with your best friends? That’s why I pledge to remain young at heart until my dying days.