I think I’ve discovered what the best feeling in the world is. I experienced it at a kids’ birthday party for grown-ups at Griffith Park. Some friends were celebrating their birthdays together and decided to have it at the park. There was a water balloon fight, a water gun shootout, “Pin the tail on the lion” (they’re Leos), and….a pinata.

I was the fifth or sixth one up, after the little kids. They blindfolded me, spun me around and then gave me a nudge forward to have at it. Armed with only a skinny detached broomstick, I swung at the air. People yelled, “Left!” “Up!” “Turn right!” “There’s no way I can do any damage with my skinny stick,” I thought. But I continued to swing if only to amuse the crowd. Then in a wide swing I felt where my mark was and I landed the strike with all my might. The crowd “oohed” and “aahed” as I continued to beat the poor little pinata cow. And when I dealt the death blow, I felt such a thrill upon hearing the crowd’s collective gasp followed by squeals of approval…or maybe it was shock that I ended the game so soon? Finally I stopped swinging and removed my blindfold to see that I had completely eviscerated the cow. Candy was everywhere. People ran past me to collect the fallen goodies and I just stood back to marvel at what I had done.

It sucks that in becoming adults we forget what it’s like to be kids, enjoying the simple things in life that made us laugh with unrestrained glee. And there’s no better way to celebrate turning older than recapturing your youth with a water balloon fight with all your other immature friends.

So throw a group picnic at Griffith Park. Thing is, you might have to stake out a spot early if you want a good location. One of the birthday girls in our group actually arrived at 5 am and set up a tent for a prime area — seems everyone celebrates something or other at Griffith Park on Sundays. But it’s worth it. Gather together 30 or 40 of your closest friends, grill some turkey burgers, eat potato salad and beat a pinata. BTW, there’s no alcohol allowed in the park, but I’m sure you can still find a way to have fun.

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