My seventeenth birthday creeps ever closer.
Lately I have been too busy to worry much about missing my childhood or growing up, I've just been worried about getting through my next paper, test, or, well, blogpost (actually that is not true I really enjoy blogging!).
However, today is a bit slower. Sure, I still have three tests to take before we reach the end of this quarter, but I've reached the point where I know I'll study for a while, and then I'll be done. No need for excessive stressing five minutes before the test; it's not really going to make much of a difference. That's one thing I hope that growing up allows me do to: take everything in stride and accept the facts of life for what they are. And maybe stress a bit less as well, but judging from some of the adults I know I doubt that is going to happen.
As promised, here is the list of things I'm looking forward to growing up for.
The Excitement of Aging
1. Being Done With High School - People say that Junioritis doesn't count; they need to remember their junior year of high school. As great as Uni can be, the constant, heavy workload and expectations from teachers, parents, and even fellow peers, can be suffocating and all I want to do is escape the narrow corridors of this stone "castle" that has been my second home for the past four years.
2. No More Curfew! - Although it still applies for another year, I cannot wait until I no longer have the state-enforced curfew for minors. Ten o'clock on weekdays? Eleven on weekends? Who is at home by eleven o'clock every weekend? Not many people I know.
3. Finding My Soul-Mate and Meeting New People - Who knows when it will happen, but I'm looking forward to that day. What little girl doesn't dream at some point of her wedding day and finding that "perfect person" made just for them? And college never hurts anything with the influx of new people into your life. I am looking forward to my little world of Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, expanding greatly in college.
4. Having My Own "Place" - Whether it is an apartment or a house, a shed or a mansion, I am looking forward to having a place that is all mine and I can decorate however I like. I love painting my room, in fact I've painted it 5 times since I moved (in 3rd grade); about once every other year. My parents sigh and say, "Are you sure you want to paint it again? You just painted it!" whenever I bring up the idea again. The thing is, painting my room allows me to believe that the room is truly mine; it is unique to me and no one else. Plus, it's exciting! Currently, three of my walls are light blue, and the fourth is dark blue. It creates contrast as well as really making the wall pop. I would love to paint the rest of the house, carefully choosing appealing and interesting colors that matched the furniture we already own, but sadly my parents won't allow it. They think colorful houses will be less easy to sell in the future. I reply that you can always paint it white again, but they refuse to budge. Oh, well, I guess I'll just have to wait till I have a place of my own.
5. Being Able to Share Knowledge- I imagine myself as an old woman, sitting in a rocking chair with my grandchildren, telling them about my life: what I learned, how I learned it, why it's important. I want to be able to share my knowledge and experiences with them so that maybe it'll help them in their futures as well. I have met many people who are older than I am and nearly all of them have learned something from life! All it takes is a little time and respect to listen to their stories and in the process you might learn a lot.
And there's always this possibility:
A man growing old becomes a child again. - Sophocles
Peace to all and stay safe!
Lately I have been too busy to worry much about missing my childhood or growing up, I've just been worried about getting through my next paper, test, or, well, blogpost (actually that is not true I really enjoy blogging!).
However, today is a bit slower. Sure, I still have three tests to take before we reach the end of this quarter, but I've reached the point where I know I'll study for a while, and then I'll be done. No need for excessive stressing five minutes before the test; it's not really going to make much of a difference. That's one thing I hope that growing up allows me do to: take everything in stride and accept the facts of life for what they are. And maybe stress a bit less as well, but judging from some of the adults I know I doubt that is going to happen.
As promised, here is the list of things I'm looking forward to growing up for.
The Excitement of Aging
1. Being Done With High School - People say that Junioritis doesn't count; they need to remember their junior year of high school. As great as Uni can be, the constant, heavy workload and expectations from teachers, parents, and even fellow peers, can be suffocating and all I want to do is escape the narrow corridors of this stone "castle" that has been my second home for the past four years.
2. No More Curfew! - Although it still applies for another year, I cannot wait until I no longer have the state-enforced curfew for minors. Ten o'clock on weekdays? Eleven on weekends? Who is at home by eleven o'clock every weekend? Not many people I know.
3. Finding My Soul-Mate and Meeting New People - Who knows when it will happen, but I'm looking forward to that day. What little girl doesn't dream at some point of her wedding day and finding that "perfect person" made just for them? And college never hurts anything with the influx of new people into your life. I am looking forward to my little world of Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, expanding greatly in college.
4. Having My Own "Place" - Whether it is an apartment or a house, a shed or a mansion, I am looking forward to having a place that is all mine and I can decorate however I like. I love painting my room, in fact I've painted it 5 times since I moved (in 3rd grade); about once every other year. My parents sigh and say, "Are you sure you want to paint it again? You just painted it!" whenever I bring up the idea again. The thing is, painting my room allows me to believe that the room is truly mine; it is unique to me and no one else. Plus, it's exciting! Currently, three of my walls are light blue, and the fourth is dark blue. It creates contrast as well as really making the wall pop. I would love to paint the rest of the house, carefully choosing appealing and interesting colors that matched the furniture we already own, but sadly my parents won't allow it. They think colorful houses will be less easy to sell in the future. I reply that you can always paint it white again, but they refuse to budge. Oh, well, I guess I'll just have to wait till I have a place of my own.
5. Being Able to Share Knowledge- I imagine myself as an old woman, sitting in a rocking chair with my grandchildren, telling them about my life: what I learned, how I learned it, why it's important. I want to be able to share my knowledge and experiences with them so that maybe it'll help them in their futures as well. I have met many people who are older than I am and nearly all of them have learned something from life! All it takes is a little time and respect to listen to their stories and in the process you might learn a lot.
And there's always this possibility:
A man growing old becomes a child again. - Sophocles
Peace to all and stay safe!
i really enjoyed this wall post I also desire the same things, but doesn't every teenager? o well its in our nature. however lets enjoy life and not try to grow up too fast :]
ReplyDeleteNumber 4 is my favorite. I want my house to be something out of Star Trek.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I don't see why curfew is so important to people. I have never been arrested for not following it. Do you really break it so often that you take the risk of getting caught?
Someone once told me that High School was the favorite time of their life, and I felt very sad, because I thought - oh no, I'm not enjoying it that much... But I know exactly what you mean - I won't be really that sorry to leave high school, despite all of the wonderful people here. I'm looking forward to something new next year.
ReplyDelete^^
ReplyDeleteHigh-School is a time for suffering. You have to constantly learn things which will likely not help you with the very specific task you will do for a career, and due to being in between child and adult you have to put up with restrictions made for children.
High-School is designed to make us suffer to ensure the rest of our lives seem good in comparison.
COLLEGE!!!
ReplyDeleteSorry. Your post made me excited. :D Great job (once again). You really get into the heart of what most teenagers want out of life, and how they feel about things. I've also heard people say that high school was the best time of their life; I'd like to meet them and find out where they went to high school...
Anyway. Great job!! :)
Doesn't college sort of nullify #1? And after that, there's the whole monotonous-job-thing.
ReplyDeleteI personally approach the future with trepidation. Meeting new people, especially, is not my forte.
An advantage of being old that you missed; you get to be a cantankerous old person. "Get off my lawn, kids" and "When I was your age, we had to walk 15 miles uphill in the snow to get to school" and all that stuff.
I like being a grown-up.
ReplyDeleteI feel sad when someone tells me high school was their favorite time of life, because that means that it's all been downhill from there, at least to some extent.
And though I loved college and had some great times back then, I like being a full-on, employed, pay-my-own bills adult even better.
High school is great, I don't know what you guys are talking about... suffering is all part of the experience! We've had some great, suffering times together, and though we may not have enjoyed them at the time, I look back on them fondly. :(
ReplyDeleteI definitely do not want my own place. Who the hell is going to sweep the floor? I don't look forward to that responsibility.
It's a great post and you make some valid points, but I'm still sticking to my childhood. :P <3
You articulated everything that I am looking forward to as college looms around the corner which makes it that much more excruciating as I count down to graduation. I'm glad that you aren't stressing out too much about junior year, it really isn't worth it.
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful post. I agree with practically everything you say here. I can't wait until I'm out on my own and free to make my own decisions. It'll be nice to do things free of my parents control. "You want to go WHERE and do WHAT?"
ReplyDeleteI just have to learn how to drive first, lol.