When you move out of your parents house? When you have children? When you pay your own bills? When should you feel "grown up"? When do you actually grow up? What makes you feel grown up? I consider myself pretty self efficient. I moved out of my parents house at 18 and haven't looked back, figuratively of course. I now live in South Korea and still feel like a child. There are still times when I wish my mom or dad was here, or I could eat mom's cooking and hear my dad's laugh in person--even one of his stupid jokes! (Love you daddy <3 ) Sometimes I wish I could close my eyes and wake up in the back of the truck, my dad driving us home and everyone quiet and content. Just listening to everyone breathing. Does that mean I'm still a child? Or does that mean I'm just feeling nostalgic? My mom still sends me care packages and gifts. She scolds me like she did when I was younger when I do stupid stuff (like when I was younger), but laughs when I drunk dial her and tells me all the funny things I said that I don't remember the next time we chat. Does that mean I'm still a child? I'm planning on moving back to the states soon and moving in with my parents seems like such a repulsive idea. Not that I don't love them and care for them and want to spend time with them, but I just couldn't experience that again--I'm even willing and able to pay my own bills, haha. Does that mean I'm grown up?
I have friends. (I know, GASP!) We hang out or chat on occasion and some of the things that come out of their mouths, or the things they do really baffle me. At this age, seriously? Come on! When I was in high school, I thought all that drama and petty childness would go away. Then I went to college and thought, "Oh, I suppose it's just a school thing." Moving to the other side of the world, I've learned that, indeed it doesn't end with school. Nor is this "condition" unique to Americans. Responsibility, coherence, integrity, maturity, and all things "adult-y" do not just happen when you get older. I'm sad to report age actually bears no weight on whether a person is grown up or not. Age comes with more opportunities and even advantages, but some people just can't handle it. What does this all mean? Certainly the way a person is raised should be a factor. Some who are raised badly, turn out to be just like their parents... but some of those beaten and neglected children find inspiration in their lives and become amazing adults. And others just the opposite. Good parents, good kids...or really horrible citizens of this Earth. Some seem to be falling apart at the seams-- can never get anything right or catch a break. Others seem like they have their lives together and can handle any problem like it ain't no thang-- or at least have a witty come back. A parenting and "release" of said child can't be that serious of a factor of a child growing into a productive adult given these trends. What makes a person suited for living life on their own without the desire to have that comfort of a childhood "home," whatever that may be? How to face fears on their own? Why is there the need to have a familiar crutch when failing? How does one go about feeling and or being grown up?
I feel like this should be a few different posts, since I've mashed a few things together here, but it seems coherent enough at the moment, haha!
Thoughts? Comments? Please?
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