Growing up is difficult. Yeah, I know how cliche that sounds. So many people mourn the fact that they are growing up. They feel like leaving childhood means losing out on the innocence and purity that marks that stage in their life. Now, they argue, their lives are no longer full of playdates and games but workdays and interviews. Yet at the same time, children yearn to grow up. They want to gain the "privileges" of being an adult. When I was a kid, I remember craving those privileges. Going to bed at two o'clock in the morning, not listening to my parents, living however I want to. I remember how excited I was to grow up--to be free like my parents.
Both of these views vary because of age. Children want to grow up because they hate the confines of being a kid and adults love childhood because they hate the confines of being an adult. So really, is there ever a solution? I will say that as a high school senior, growing up does make things more complicated. My friends and I occasionally lament the fact that we are growing up. These days, we worry constantly about colleges, parents' expectations, exams, and papers. We worry about our grades, our GPA, and test scores. We stress over our SAT scores and bond over having scores that don't match our expectations. How messed up is that?
These days, with college on the horizon and multiple personal essays to write, I am constantly forced to confront myself. I am forced to know myself, even when I don't feel any inspiration. It's hard to dig deep and find something new about yourself that you didn't know before. I sometimes find myself banging my head against my desk, vainly hoping that sooner or later, something will come up. All this stress and work definitely makes me think of childhood and how lucky it felt to be a kid.
But there is something I realized. I realized that this hard time will pass and before I know it, it'll be the summer before college. Even though childhood is a beautiful time that should be cherished and enjoyed, I've gained so much more growing up. I've gotten taller, nicer, smarter, and wiser. I've learned so much about the world and the people in it. Soon, I will embark on the next leg of my journey where I am certain to meet new, fascinating people who will drastically change the way I see the world. And I honestly can't wait.
~~Inspired by Macklemore's "Growing Up" ft. Ed Sheeran~~
Something that I really love about your posts are the transitions and development between the opening and closing sentences. I liked how you connected the shift between childhood and adulthood to college. I agree with you on loving childhood but also enjoying my growth into becoming an adult. I'm really excited for what the future holds and where we'll all after this year.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Raphie, and I love your post! I like that you came to such a great (and true!) closure at the end. As great and pure childhood can be, we have grown so much into ourselves. Also, i like that this post took the as you say, cliche, topic of growing up in a new direction.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your feelings. As a child I always looked forward to growing up and the privileges that would come with it. And as I have grown up I have realized that along with those privileges, there is also a lot more responsibility and stress. I liked how you concluded this post looking back on childhood and how it has shaped you into the person you are today, as well as looking forward toward the future.
ReplyDeleteI feel the exact same way. Ever since I was a kid I've wanted to be an adult, and yet now that I'm nearing my adult years I find myself wanting to be a kid again. I suppose, as the old saying goes, the grass is always greener on the other side. I suppose it goes down to how easy it is to find the negatives currently going on, as well as how easy it is to spot positives in a life you aren't living. It is very easy to relate to this feeling.
ReplyDeleteYou make some meaningful observations in this post, Serena. I think it's true that "Children want to grow up because they hate the confines of being a kid and adults love childhood because they hate the confines of being an adult," but I wonder if "confines" is right for both situations. Maybe different and more specific words in both places (or at least one). I think kids feel limited in their freedom and adults feel overwhelmed with responsibility. Is there a way you can express those complex aspects of the different stages of life?
ReplyDelete