Tues, Apr. 2
... Growing up
My mom is very much of the opinion that teenagers are "children learning to grow up and trying to find their way in the world, but still children." That's pretty much an exact quote--I have it on tape for my Youth Culture project, and I was just listening to it, but I don't feel like going back and finding it so I can verify that it's word for word.
Anyways, I will agree that high school students are not fully grown up. I'm not completely a "grown up" yet, but I think that we grow in proportion to what we have to deal with.
Moving out of my parents's house, and even more since moving out of dorms, and having to deal with the day-to-day realities of buying groceries, paying rent, working enough hours, transporting myself from point A to point B, worrying about whether I'll be able to pay all my bills this month, taking responsibility for myself, and basically being completely independent of them in every way, except for part of my tuition, has made me grow up. Being engaged and having to make the decision to break it off because I knew it wasn't right made me grow up. It took me out past being a little kid, and into the realm of life-changing decisions. Maybe it's not a decision I "wanted," but when I had to deal with it, I was ready. Learning to be myself, all by myself, in a world full of couples has made me grow up. It's definitely not something I want, but it's something I'm given the strength to deal with.
If I were to, say, get pregnant, that would obviously not be an ideal situation, and it wouldn't be what I "wanted," but I would deal with it because I would have no other choice. My life would drastically change, and I would be ready for it, because I would have no choice but to be ready for it.
No, I don't have to deal with everything on my own, and I don't hvae the same pressures and responsibilities as my parents, but I'm not a kid. I'm not in high school anymore, dependent on mom and dad for my food and shelter, or anything like that.
And people grow up differently. Just because the experiences I've had have defined my growing up years doesn't mean that everyone will grow up the same way. It doesn't mean that you have to be living on your own before you're grown up; it just means that you grow up when you have to. You deal with what you have to, when you have to, because you don't have a choice. Life goes on, and you go with it. That's just the way it is.
infinite || abyss
posted at 1:54 p.m.
