Why Do I have to "act my age"?

My wife was talking to her mother last night and she is coming to stay with us next week and for the record I have great in-laws and love them very much. While they were talking my wife explained that I was going to see Marilyn Manson that weekend and started taking jabs at me because I was going to the show.

I'm 36 years old and going to a show like this is not an irregular occurrence for me. About once a quarter I go to a metal show and I LOVE it. Its usually at a smaller venue and I am prone to get into the pit as well so this is actually a little more tame than usual for me since its at an outdoor venue. I think the deal here is that its Manson (Slayer is actually the headliner BTW) which proves to me the other thing she was talking about. Manson is a rock star.

While I was traveling I picked up Spin magazine and on the cover was Manson with the caption "The last rock star" which my wife and I also got into a discussion about. The point of the article was that there are very few rock stars the likes that we saw in the 80's like Tommy Lee, Axl Rose, Diamond Dave and so on with their legendary stories of debauchery. He is a polarizing figure whether you like his music or not. He is a rock star and great at self promotion and if you are an adult you see this guy is not taking himself to serious and is very much a show unto himself. I have a 4 year old and I don't know how I would handle it if she told me she was going to see Manson but that's another post for another day.

Anyway, the wife was going on about the kids making fun of me for being the old guy at the show. I don't care. I'm not some fat wrinkly biker looking dude with a beard trying to be cool. I have very few things I'm passionate about but metal is one of them so I am there for the music and the spectacle. It is one of those things that moves my soul and I guess it always will no matter how old I get. So I wonder for the other 30 somethings (or older) do they still have those guilty pleasures they had when they were younger and will they ever go away and do you care.

Peace.