There is a movie on in the next room whose principle theme seems to be that doing right and being responsible is lame. The heroine is an adult who hasn’t changed her outlook since middle school/high school/college and is pictured as a person with "integrity" because she hasn’t changed and hasn’t "sold out." The oldest daughter of the responsible wife and mother is portrayed as miserable because she has been raised to do well in school, etc. The wife and mother is portrayed as someone who is "missing out" and has "lost herself" because she wants to be a good wife and mother.
I wish I had the boring, miserable experience of doing well in school and getting a scholarship to a nice college. I wish I had the boring, miserable expereince of growing up sooner and being responsible sooner. I find no joy and no "heroism" in my past stupidities, laziness and irresponsibility. I am paying for them now. Everytime I pull a weed or yank a vine, everytime I am hacking at the ground, eveytime I have to get up before the sun for a 45-minute drive to work, I realize how my past lack of discipline, focus, and courage to follow my convictions have caused me to be in a low-paying, mostly unfun job.
I realize it is not a Christian movie, but I see the same philosophies among Christans of all ages. God is boring. The Bible is boring. Doing right is boring. It is especially bad in youth ministries whose core value is "excitement" instead of loving God and loving others. It leads to self-absorbtion. I find God exciting and the Bible amazing.
I wish I wasn’t so shy about being the person God created and re-created me to be. I wish I had the courage to hold to my convictions.