By Frank James
Today’s society is composed from a very interesting batch of ingredients. Fear is one of the key ingredients that are a part of concoction that form US society. When you add anger, aggression, depression, and a plethora of other nauseating ingredients, the result is US society. There is one ingredient that needs to be added to the mix in order to cancel out some of the others. That key ingredient is fun. Fun added to many people’s lives in the USA would change the country in 15 minutes.
Fun. What is fun in the USA today? Many people have definitions of fun that were told to them by others. What happened to the fun that people experienced as children? The fun and laughter about almost everything that happened. Many educated people will say that, “Maturity steps in at a certain age and you have to grow up.” That sounds righteously divine. There is one problem. This concept isn’t working for a vast number of people in the USA. If you don’t believe me look at the skyrocketing number of people who suffer from depression and mental fatigue in the USA. Fun can change this disturbing trend in a positive way.
In the USA, young people are not having much fun. The number of children and teens who suffer from depression is not a minute one. If you look at statistics from the 2023 CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey almost forty percent of teens reported feeling sadness or hopelessness. The fun of youth seems to have been sucked out of USA childhood. Where did it go? Has maturity stepped in early and told these teens that it is time to give up fun? If a person is not having fun as a teen before adult problems begin; what are the chances they will discover fun while paying bills? Fun, where hast thou gone?
I can hear many people saying, “I have fun all the time. I cheer my favorite sports team.” The previous statement is a form of fun but, it can also lead to depression. Oh, I know that many say, “It is only a game.” How many of you know people that are so wrapped up in the plight of a sports team, that if the team loses they are miserable? They may not be heading towards the medicine cabinet after a loss, but they show signs of depression over the setback. This is a result of tying fun to people and events outside of your control. The innocent fun children used to have came from the fact that the fun came from actions they took. The fun that is shoved down US citizens throats in 2026 often comes from the actions of other people. US citizens have to relearn the art of defining, and creating, their own fun.
One form of fun that has fooled several generations of US citizens in the supposed fun derived from consuming alcoholic beverages. Many US citizens think getting good and high on booze is fun. I always laughed at the advertising images on signs of people drinking and having fun at a party. These images would feature attractive people drinking liquor, or beer, and enjoying themselves. I alway asked, “Why don’t they show the next day, after these people have drank this beverage? Why not show the hangover, and questions about what you did the night before?” Is being a drunken slob fun? No. I can talk from experience on that point.
Fun is wholesome and relieving. Fun is being free to laugh at whatever is in front of you. Fun is the ability to laugh at yourself and the situation you are in. Fun allows you to release many mental issues that hinder your growth on all levels. Find your definition of fun. Don’t be browbeaten into giving up fun because of age. As you grow older the fun should increase, not decrease. Go have fun today.
Frank James IV © 2026
beingfrankwithfrank@gmail.com
The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the writer and not of the Milwaukee Times Weekly Newspaper or HT Group, LLC, its staff or management. “Being Frank” is a bi-weekly column exclusive to the Milwaukee Times Weekly Newspaper.
