As a kid I had to have a separate humidifier in my bedroom. The thinking at the time was this: The frequent asthma and respiratory problems, allergies and weird side effects from the asthma and allergy meds meant I needed the extra humidity. My little humidifier was a boring, white plastic one. I remember it had to be cleaned regularly, and that I wasn’t supposed to play with it. Yesterday, at Target, we purchased the adult version of the same boring humidifier. This one had additional allergen fighters and some sort of “Baking Soda” filter that is supposed to cut down on funky odors. We could have gotten one of these–

If you can’t see them, these are children’s humidifiers. A penguin, a dragon or an elephant. There was also a froggie, but it wasn’t on the official display. They didn’t have the special filters that the adult one had, but they were in the shape of cheerful figures with movable parts. That’s right. The beaks, snouts and trunks MOVED. The tank sizes were identical. I believe they’re all dishwasher safe. What’s not to love?

We went with the adult one. Adult contemporary fits the decor of the (now ready to sell) condo. The kid’s humidifiers just doesn’t work.

Being an adult doesn’t mean you can buy what you want. It means being responsible with cash and accessories. There are benefits to being an adult–the easy of buying booze, working, setting your own priorities–but sometimes being a kid is more appealing.

The humidifier is not a big deal. It just represents what I want: Less adult responsibilities. I will not, however, trade my adult freedoms away for less responsibilities.

What I will do is wait until we sell the place. Then, in the nerd room, I’ll put up my own humidifier. Next winter, that elephant humidifier is mine.