Have you ever been told that you were too old to do something, and it made you want to do it that much more? When I see those signs at playgrounds that say you have to be shorter than a certain height or under a particular age, it makes me want to break the rules and go down that slide anyway.

That’s how many people are in life. They see that they are not supposed to be able to do things, and they tackle them anyway. It makes me think of the 80-year-old women who skydive for the first time, or the 70-year-old men who buy motorcycles for the fun of it. That’s how I want to live my life — not held back by the normal standards of age, but pushing those limits to the edge to see what I can get away with. I’m not talking about skydiving or buying a Harley any time soon, but I am talking more along the lines of joining a local co-ed sports team, or joining in the Warrior Dash that is coming up in October in Kimberly. These things sound like fun to me, but my body often forgets that it is 32 years old and needs to make some sort of adjustment for this.

This past weekend I had the privilege of going with some friends down the mighty rapids of the Ocoee River. Every other time that we have gone, we’ve done the slower rapids at the bottom part of the river, but this time we decided to be a little braver and tackle the top part of the river, where the Olympic competition was held. I must say that it pays off to go bigger and better sometimes.

We had a great trip, and unlike the trip I took in my 20s when I almost drowned under a raft, I was safe and sound the entire ride. It was a little unnerving to know that it was our guide’s first time to ever take a group down the upper section, though. Maybe being in my 30s has afforded me a little better sense than I had in my earlier years, but not so much sense that I refuse to have fun when fun is offered.

In life, I want to be the person who people know they can turn to for a good time, even if it means doing something outside of the box every once in a while. And yes, this method has gotten me in trouble before, so I would caution you to use a little common sense when tackling this newfound sense of adventure.

But we can even have adventures in the little things too. Like last week I went to visit my parents for dinner, and when I got to their house my dad and brother were about to begin a hike through the woods. Although I was in my dress clothes from work and my work shoes, I tagged along and had a wonderful time with some of the most important men in my life. If I had been in the sissy frame of mind that didn’t want to mess up my hair, then I would have missed that mini-adventure that was waiting to be taken.

So if you are offered, take the adventure and see where it leads you. The possibilities are endless.