Second Spring

Pupal Reversion

Saturday-Sunday, May 23-24, 2026

Infirmities threaten us as we superannuate, oddly returning us to the helplessness of infancy. Or so it has been often observed. A person starts out in life bald and toothless, poorly sighted, unable to make sense of sounds, ignorant and with much to learn. At the other end of life, assuming no cosmetic interventions, you inexorably find yourself back at square one, confused and relying once again on others for help with bodily functions.

Most of the interim is spent in adulthood, with its earnestness and challenge, hardship and strife, spiced at times with wonder and awe, Lord willing.

In popular culture nowadays there’s been a trend toward self-help coaching on aging, to make sure the later years are as healthy as possible, with infancy’s reprise minimized. The internet abounds with informal clubs, and quite a few explore methods of how to grow old better. The crux, from what I’ve seen, comes down to eating healthily and getting adequate exercise—not to mention getting and keeping free of self-destructive indulgences.

Now, with mechanical automation and supposed intelligent machines taking over the monotonous aspects of adulthood, as well as relieving the physical strain on one’s musculoskeletal system, there appears to be a dearth of meaningful things for adults to do. The chores once endured as a matter of survival are mostly long past. Leisure or leisure-like work have replaced joyless and often dangerous toil. What to do?

A significant proportion of Gen Z and Millennial cohorts have discovered a return to childhood—voluntarily, in this case. Drawing on nostalgia, the search for fun, and with plentiful discretionary incomes, they are creating a multi-billion-dollar boomlet in toymaking. As a result, companies like Mattel, Hasbro, Lego, and several newcomers are expanding their offerings away from the stagnant market for kids’ toys. They are coming up with items that appeal to the newish “kidult” segment.

The international market research firm Kadence International reports :

The fastest-growing consumer in the toy industry is not a kid. A new generation of adults is rewriting the rules of play, driving billions in annual sales and reshaping how toy brands approach product development and marketing. These buyers, known as kidults, are fueling growth as they seek nostalgia, collectibles, and high-end toys once marketed exclusively to children. Their spending habits have become a defining force in the industry, outpacing traditional toy buyers and reshaping market strategies.

There have been many stories covering the subject in recent years.

And now comes the AP with reporting in a similar vein in an article Adults relive the musical camaraderie of their youth at band camps reprised for grown-ups:

Whether they are looking to make friends, improve their skills or just take some time out for themselves after sending their own kids to camp and college, adults can find a variety of summer music programs across the United States, ranging from electronic, folk, rock ‘n’ roll and jazz to chamber and opera.

For many campers, it offers a way to relive the nostalgic musical experiences of their youth and make new social connections.

Taken together, these trends would seem to be in perfect alignment with this century’s other, earlier fashions, including dressing up like comic-book characters (cosplaying), dressing up like stuffed animals (furries), and needing pet animals for emotional support.

What does it all mean? I’m sure I don’t know. But that doesn’t prevent me from suspecting it’s an outgrowth of leisure-filled living.

And as with most fashion, I assume it will continue until it reaches its apogee and begins its decline.

Since the hard work has been done already by earlier generations, there’s going to be a lot of lifetime to spend doing something. One of those somethings seems to be turning politics into some sort of all-consuming lifestyle as political religion. That sort of politics is passionate and angry, and only fleetingly satisfying. If you’re wining today, you’ll be losing soon enough. Compromise—the coin of the political realm—feels a lot more like defeat. And so we get adults throwing tantrums like spoiled brats never taught good sportsmanship.

Reverting to childhood by escaping into toys, on the other hand… What’s the harm in discovering the joys of that age, rather than only the angry sandbox meltdowns because overgrown little Jonny or Jenny didn’t get his or her way?