I have thought about my childhood and I came to the realization that in some ways I feel that I am an adult but I am not completely there yet. I suppose any twenty six year old would be in the same boat. My family was not religious or had many traditions so our rite of passage was a little more under the radar than most. I can recall when I got my driver’s license my mom and dad had a long drawn out talk about responsibility and adult regulations, and I think that was when my life went from a narrow “what fun thing am I gonna do today” view of the world, to “oh my god there are more people than just me that my life affects”, mentality. Suddenly I had a car that needed the gas tank filled, the oil changed, the windows cleaned, and I had to be the one to do that. That was not even the scariest part; I came to the grim realization that I had to pay for these things. Soon after receiving my license I joined the working class. Driving myself began a chain reaction, or really a flood of adulthood. One instant I was playing hide and go seek and the other I was flipping pizzas and filling gas tanks. My rite of passage was not just the single moment of driving, but more of maintaining this privilege by holding a job and keeping good grades. My family recognizes the passing of the baton from childhood to adulthood and they begin to ask more of me as well.
My family still treats me as if I were just a little younger than I am, though, because I am the youngest of the children. My mom mostly, I think because if I stay young in her eyes than she doesn’t worry about me as much. It can be frustrating at times because I would like to be treated as I were an equal and I do not get that respect. Graduating college is the final step into complete adulthood in my family. Marriage and a family is important, but in my parent’s eyes, none of those could or should be accomplished without a degree. That idea has been instilled in all of us children so we believe that that idea holds true. I would like to believe that I am an adult, but for now I enjoy my youth and I realize that I do have responsibility, but I still have a lot of growing up to do and there will be a time in my life where I really feel like I have completely stepped into adulthood. I hope that I am prepared when that moment comes.

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