The realizations that shape our coming-of-age
Life is a series of events that shape who we become and what we stand for. At what point, though, do these events lead us into adulthood? Does the day ever come when you’ll wake up with your head screwed tight to your shoulders realizing exactly what to do with your life? While we can hope that this is the case, it is much more realistic to accept the fact that becoming an adult is a long process of realizations – many that we don’t want to make.
The world around you used to sparkle with opportunity. You might have once believed you could save the world. Suddenly, however, the proud hours you clocked at the food bank now seem dismal when you read that yet another protester has died for their right to vote in another country. You’ve been betrayed once or twice at this point in your life; maybe you’ve even had your heart broken. Your grandparents are no longer the heroes they used to be. Now you see that they’re human too – faults and all.
You had to learn your lessons the hard way. Try as they might, your parents never got through to you when they warned you of, well, everything. They warned you that you’d be overwhelmed by the freedom of university, and residence, and everything that came with it. You told them you knew your limits but now your credit card is maxed out, you’re exhausted, and you’ve got an essay due tomorrow.
They warned you that you’d be overwhelmed…
Perhaps the most important, and probably hardest realization is the fact that despite all this recently found negativity, life is good. Learning is just a part of growing up. You can still go out and have fun, you can still treat yourself here and there, and you can still love the people around you despite their faults. Now you just know when and how. Even those bad realizations can be chalked up to experience. You’ll realize – for better and worse – that you’re only a tiny part of this world.
So get out there and meet new people, risk making a fool of yourself, go to Europe, fall in love, and take every opportunity that presents itself. You’ll soon realize that you’re surrounded by true friends, and a rich bank of memories. You’ll realize that your tiny part in this world can make a huge difference in someone else’s. You’ll probably never wake up feeling like an adult, but you can wake up happy if you let yourself.