Being born during the last two months of the year has always left me at a disadvantage. I am usually the youngest in my grade, and I was treated like a child because the eldest is always right – right? As I got ready for my first year of university I was looking forward to shaking off the “youngest” label because at university, we are all adults. Of course, I was wrong. My family took up where my peers left off, and began asking questions like “when are you finally going to grow up?”.
Up until this point, I had believed my loved ones were cool with me being me, but as soon as I crossed the threshold of potential adulthood, I realized how many expectations came along with it. In an instant, I was given a list of 101 things I needed to be and accomplish before I was truly mature, and told that “no one is an adult until they’re mature.” I suppose this leaves me in the awkward position of being leaving a woman-child.
Anybody else remember this blast from the past?
It would be a lie to say this didn’t take a hit my self esteem. Just walking around campus, I would look to other students and think to myself: “wow they look so grown-up,” and “maybe if I had it together like her, I’d seem more mature.” One day, however, I stopped and looked back on how far I had come since high school. Going through old MSN conversations, Facebook messages, and texts made me realize how much I had changed as a person since then. Seeing how far I had grown emotionally and mentally gave me a sense of security because though I don’t quite know where I am going, I know that I am been going somewhere.
Have a found the answer to what it means to be truly ‘mature’? No, because I don’t believe real maturity can be defined. It’s too complex and varies from person to person to be put into a list and checked off, criterion by criterion. Am I an adult? Heck yes I am. As a 20 something year old, my country and I both recognize me legally as an adult. I still watch cartoons, sleep with a teddy bear, and eat Lucky Charms, but, I also pay my own bills, take care of myself, and rely on myself for things. You can’t please everyone, so just be sure you have your own idea of what it means to ‘grow up’ – and start from there.
Photo Sources:
http://991.com/newgallery/Britney-Spears-Im-Not-A-Girl-Not-380146.jpg
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