I have a friend who is a music major. One day, not too long after her 21st birthday, we were listening to Adele’s CD 21 when she said, “Oh wow, I’m Adele’s age when she recorded this CD!” We were talking about how many young women have achieved so much at such a young age while we were just sitting there in our college dorm trying to finish yet another boring homework assignment.
In a world where so many young women have achieved fame, money and status making their dreams come true at such a young age, it can be tempting for us to feel a little less than compared to them. Compared to Adele or Ariana Grande, my life as a college student seems too boring, too unfulfilling and not glamorous or fancy at all.
We look up to so many women who have made it to the top at a young age, marveling at their determination and talent to get there. And although it is good to recognize young, talented women like Adele, since what they achieved was truly amazing, we have to be careful. We may end up thinking that those young women have something that we do not, and that we’re not as good as they are.
Truth is, women like Adele are the exception. Most young women who are passionate about music will need many more years of learning, having doors being closed on their faces, disappointment after disappointment, and then maybe one day down the road they will finally get the break-through they always wanted.
But if there’s anything that young successful Adele has taught me is that living my dream is more important that achieving anything. As a little girl, getting an education in college was always my dream, and today I get to live it. No, I have not won any awards, made a lot of money or started my own business at 20. But every day that I get to wake up and pursue an education is another day my little girl’s dream gets to come true, no matter how sleepy and frustrated I may be. But I’m sure there are many days when Adele wakes up and all she wants is to stay in bed instead of performing in front of thousands.
We may have not won a Grammy or Oscar by the time we’re 21, but as college students we have gained experiences, friendships and knowledge. With every passing day of stressful college schedules and boring classes, we are making our dreams unfold, even if we’re 31 instead of 21 when that dream fully comes true. Hey, they say the 30’s are the new 20’s after all.
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