The beauty of being a child is not knowing responsibility. Your survival is not in your hands, neither is the survival of your loved ones. You simply exist!
At the stage of adolescence, you roam with pride of quick knowledge. You think you are wiser and "woke" compared to your parent or guardian. Time and again, you get into situations that give you the false feeling of independence and responsibility towards decisions that affect you; how you want to dress, the name you'd rather go by, the hairstyle that befits the contour of your face, the friends you keep. These and more create a falsehood of the knowledge of life and all that it entails.
But isn't life humbling to those who think they know it all?
A step into adulthood is the most exciting, yet horrific reality an individual can face depending on several circumstances. You have gone from knowing it all, to being plainly confused. Now there are expectations and responsibilities you might not have been warned about or prepared for. It finally hits; you don't know life.
I believe one of life's biggest jokes on young adults is putting them in situations that force them to admit that their parents might have been right after all. Right about little things that they as young people felt wise enough about. But the best joke of all is maturing and realising that you are just like the person who raised you.
I remember my rebellious teenage years when I wanted to be out of the house with my friends, partying and whatnot. My uncle would often say to me, "Nina, one day the gates of this house will be wide open for you to go and come as you please, but you will have nowhere you'd rather be but home"
Of course, such statements sounded absurd. What do you mean this home will ever be better than partying all day long with friends. But guess what, I was raised by introverts. They hardly indulged in the things I ran after. They were experts in minding their business. There was no extravagant bone in them. They created a home that they were happy to be in most if not all the time.
When I finally gained my much-longed-for independence, I found myself, without any coercion, loving my private little space better than partying all day long with friends. My home was always where my heart was. I never felt as though I was missing out on any fun.
Don't get me wrong, I lived the life I wanted. I did the partying and more, but in truth, I cannot specifically tell you when the transition from party freak to introvert began for me. It just happened.
The next phase of life for the lucky is finally understanding how to navigate responsibilities, expectations, life choices and personal goals. You learn to categorise things. To prioritize things. You learn to live.
You can finally say 'Now you know life'.
The unlucky will remain in the limbo of adolescence and adulthood, never fully stepping out of one into the other.
ReplyDeleteToday was one of those days that I felt sooo overwhelmed, exhausted and frustrated, so I went to the restroom and I cried so hard to the point where I had to cover my mouth so that I didn’t make too much noise and when I was done, I fixed my makeup and went back to my desk and kept working.
In other for me to survive, one skill I have adapted in this so called adulthood is that on your darkest day (like today) try not to look for the end of the tunnel, instead focus on where you are at that point in time then carefully take one step at a time, by placing one foot in front of the other. Before you realize you’re at the exit……
Aww, I totally understand this. Adulthood will humble you over and over again and if one is not careful, it will consume you.
ReplyDeleteBut you are right, staying focused and determined helps to rise above dark days and trials. Most importantly, you need to have an outlet where you can cry, vent, retreat and refresh.
You are doing well, love.
Not a day goes by without referring back to nuggets my parents gave freely now, it amuses me...
ReplyDeleteTrue that. Their voices keep resounding in my head from time to time.
DeleteI wanted to be called a woman so bad😆, I remember telling my mum”I am a lady and not a girl”🤣🤣now I just want to be a girl
ReplyDeleteThis adulthood is tiring and I am not ready.
I used to count down to my 18th birthday, as if I would magically have my own house, car and money when that time came. Lol. We were really in a hurry to grow up.
DeleteThis brought back forgotten memories, haven’t figured everything out yet but I’m sure as one lives life experiences build up over time, Adulting has been a roller coaster of emotions, emotions I wish I could stabilize as soon/easy as possible, but still it’s life noting is certain.
ReplyDeleteYou are right. The uncertainties we face daily makes things harder. You might think you finally understand a phase, and out of the blue, everything changes. One can never be too sure.
DeleteWell said.
ReplyDelete