Nonurgency

Let’s Get Serious, Folks!

Did you ever notice how grown ups hate it when kids are having fun? Seriously, when the last time you were doing something fun and some adult came over and made you stop? If you're like most kids you're probably reading this very book because some adult wanted you to quit playing video games watching TV.

If you don't believe me, try this experiment: Grab a few of your friends, go into the corner of a room and start goofing around. Make some noise! Start laughing and cheering and maybe shout out a "Woo-hoo!” or two. It's been scientifically proven that 89.4 percent of all grown ups will drop whatever they're doing and rush over to put a stop to whatever “nonsense” you're up to.

You have to wonder, why are most grown-ups like this? Weren't they ever kids themselves? Didn't they enjoy laughing and cheering and goofing around when they were young? If so, when did they stop? And why?

Now, I certainly can't speak for all adults but I'm going to anyway.

I think it's a lot easier for adults to stomp out someone else's fun than it is for them to reflect on their own lives and figure out where it all went so miserably wrong. It's just too depressing for grown-ups to ponder all the decades of compromises, failures, laziness, fear, and regrettable choices that slowly transformed them from running, jumping laughing, fun-loving kids into grumpy complaining, calorie-counting, easily offended, peace-and-quiet-demanding grouches.

In other words, it's harder to look within yourself than it is to shout, "HEY, YOU KIDS. CUT THAT OUT!"

Keeping this in mind, you might not want to smile or laugh while reading this book. And when you get to the Flip-O-Rama parts, I suggest you flip with a bored, disinterested look on your face or some adult will probably take this book away from you and make you read Sarah, Plain and Tall instead

Don’t say I didn't warn you.

- Captain Underpants and the Revolting Revenge of the Radioactive Robo-Boxers, Dav Pilkey (2013)