Growing Up is Scary, and I’m Terrified

 It’s that time of year where it seems like every time you go on the internet, listen to the radio, or turn on the television, it’s always about the same thing: politics. Yes, that’s right! The time of year where the nation divides to chose a leader who will lead us as a whole. Democracy is a beautiful thing.

    Really, I never used to pay that close of attention to who was running for president. I wouldn’t really say that I belong to a specific party. All I know is one thing: I am voting in this year’s primary election and that I am nowhere near ready to take on the responsibility of voting for a leader of our nation. Don’t get me wrong, I think voting is a fantastic privilege and I’m ecstatic that I am able to have this opportunity. I’m just saying, being an adult went from 10 years from now to tomorrow extremely fast.   

    It’s not only voting that is terrifying, it’s also what comes after. Taxes, bills, marriage, AND SOMETIMES CHILDREN! I don’t know about you, but I can barely remember to feed myself and get to bed at a decent hour. The thought of going home one day not to my mom, but as a mom to someone else, is overwhelming. I used to sit and wish my life away, but now as I’m nearing my final year of high school, I wish I would have taken the time to truly enjoy the days I wasted. You hear people talking about how much they want to get out of high school without actually taking the time to realize how carefree and how much less stressful life is for most of us. Most of us don’t have to worry about paying rent and providing for our family quite yet.

    Some young adults actually have to do this everyday, or some young adults actually know the realities that come along with these choices and are mature enough and financially stable enough to do so. If that’s the case, that is perfectly fine. I’m just saying that most of us aren’t prepared for adult life and are too busy romanticizing the idea of being on our own without taking the time to think about the actual hardships that go along with growing up.

    We’re at a point in our lives where we are making decisions that affect the path we take as adults. For me personally, I don’t want to grow up feeling like my only purpose in life is to pay taxes and die. Instead of wishing the only life we have away and ignoring the opportunities and the advantages we won’t have when we’re older, we need to fully embrace the days that lie ahead. We have all the time in the world to grow up and stress out about adult things like coupons and not going into crippling debt and eating cold ravioli straight out of the can. I’d much rather worry about the major history test I have coming up in two weeks. Take time to enjoy life and live in the moment. Godspeed, friends.