There comes a time, and trust me there will be a time, where eventually you'll have to start throwing bits and pieces of your chilhood away or at the very least tuck them away in the back of your mind for a good amount of time. I for one think I am approaching, if not already, that age. It's been awhile since I've posted something on this blog and I find it both childish and somewhat grown up to be able to talk about certain issues such as these openly and to a general public of who knows how many. But the topic today is growing up, how it all relates to myself, and everyone else. So lets ask the question: What does it mean to grow up?Of course you can approach this question in many different ways. Mentally speaking, growing up means you become fully aware of your possibilities, limits, resources, goals, your situation in comparison to others, and your responsibilities. Biologically, growing up may refer to the time when puberty has finally done its job, and the "growing" itself will probably stop. This means, no more checking if you grew a couple inches on the doorframe, no more replacement teeth from the tooth fairy, and so on. Females tend to reach this age at 18 - as they begin earlier than males. Males will reach this age typically at age 21. Theres a whole slew of details and facts about this topic and as much as I would LOVE to lecture you all, htis isn't what this blog is supposed to do. So let's get interesting... well, more interesting. I guess.
Socially speaking, growing up could refer to having a full time job. Living on your own and chasing that American dream. Not having to rely on anyone else but the paycheck salary you earn bi-weekly. (See what I did there?) Now, where I am currently at - and this is where my opinion of being "grown up" changes - is full time job. I'm not living on my own (though I could if I wanted to), nor am I chasing that American dream. Most importantly I'm not relying on just myself. I believe that being grown up, one accepts the fact that sometimes everyone needs help and therefore aren't afraid to ask for it, and also receive it. Yes, I do earn my keep, but I'm proud to admit that I'm still living with my parents, eating my moms food, and still more or less being a kid. Technically I'm just a kid with money. (BTW deja vu just now for some reason) ANYWAY. Though I'm not a fully realised grown up, I feel like the extra step I'm missing is earning and maintaing a salary, which would require a better degree in my situation. But even still, I wouldn't be too ashamed going back under the roof my parents practically built for my sister and I. It's home. It's where I could see myself for a really long time. It's safe. Society has it figured out that if you're 30-40ish years old you should have "flown the coop" by now and I feel that I only agree if you've got a family to take care of. But if you're working or unemployed and you aren't really involved with anyone then by all means take the free housing. This is kind of where my opinion and society's opinion starts blending.
In order to seem grown up to other people, because of what society has done to us, one must be stable by his/herself. That's why I mentioned earlier that it isn't at all deterimental to be living with your parents as long as certain conditions are met, especially if you aren't looking to settle down. Whether or not this is fact, mates will seek other mates that show independence and stability. The thought of being involved with someone who hasn't left the parents house isn't really ideal. So if you relaly want to show someone you can settle down and start a family, please show that you can do it yourself first.
Another thing I want to touch up on is growing up on a mature level. Now this is something that worries and irks me. This generational and technological shift has made it exponentially harder to mature. I don't want to sound like my parents at all but BACK IN MY DAY we didn't have all these fancy things we do today. Sure there were video games and early computers but I worry that the technology today will cause our youth to take a much longer time to "grow up." Statistics show that about a decade ago, the average person living by his/herself was 18-21 years old. This means that straight out of college or even in college you should have been living by yourself already. Nowadays I believe the numbers are close to 25-30 years old. Whether or not this has to do with technology or the economy, the numbers are a bit worrysome. I know that this whole idea is everywhere right now, but I need to take a brief aside for a second.
A couple days prior to this post, my mother and I were talking about the new hires she had at work, and how they were doing such a terrible job. The key point here is that they weren't working independently and therefore asking a plethora of questions in order to get the job done. Now I understand that with nursing, it doesn't hurt to double check with the seniors to see if what your doing is right. The big picture here is that presently, new employees in the field have absrobed less from their education than ever before. Even I am somewhat guilty to that statement. Taking my mom's new hires for example. Yes, there are some procedures that asking questions or verifying methods is a good thing to do. But if you need to ask how to check blood pressure, or how to draw blood, STRAIGHT out of nursing school? You didn't pay enough attention and you should probably go back to school. As an employee, you need to be able to take pride in your knowledge (for which you are probably in debt for) and be more independent in the workplace to succeed. Aside over.
And sadly that brief aside was enough to forget the point I was making before. But let's continue on anyway as this is getting to be a little winded. Though I don't consider myself a "grown up" just yet, I can hold my chin up and say I'm "grown." Because I still watch cartoons, I still play video games, and very much so I'm still a kid. And until the morning comes and I don't want to watch Spongebob, I'll put on a suit and head to work.
In conclusion: Grow up when you need to. But don't take too long or society will bite you in the butt.
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