The people you encounter and become
Growing up is a strange process. In fact, it has to be one of the strangest things we experience on this earth. One minute we are rambunctious children running around wild in our neighborhoods with no worries. We play in dirt, eat bugs (maybe grass, who knows?) and basically wreak havoc around our stomping grounds. Then, before we know it, society decides we need to be in school. After 12 years, plus another four for university, the world decides it is time for us to be adults and contribute to society. All the while we are still feeling like that child inside who just wants to play night games with our friends and eat way too many s'mores.
While growing up can be rough, there are also some positives. Having free reign over who you are and what you want to do is pretty sweet, and although work is a bummer, salaries are cool! While the strange process of growing up is inevitable, we do have some choice in the matter of the person who our grownup selves become. While some still like to harness the inner child inside, others tend to run away from everything they knew as a youth. Here is a short list of the people we will encounter and become as we begin the maturation process.
The “I’m too busy to do anything,” friend: If business and age have a tangential relationship, this friend must have grown 50 years in 50 days. This friend, regardless of what you are doing, is way too busy to do anything. This is the type of person who always has so much more on his or her plate than all of their friends and takes weeks to respond to a text message. You send a, “Heading 2 the bar. Wanna join?” text on Friday, and the following Wednesday you will receive, “No. 2 busy.” Even though this friend is only serving tables, they apparently are too overwhelmed by life to be decent to their friends.
The “I’m an adult, and I want to show it,” friend: While you can’t really hate on this friend because, well you’re a bit jealous and they are doing well, you can be annoyed. This is the friend who found the love of their life and their career way younger than everyone else. While this is great for them, they love to exploit this fact all over their respective social media outlets. They post albums of baby pictures, weddings, anniversaries and animals. While you are hungover on a Sunday, they are looking at houses and getting brunch with their parents that doesn't, in fact, involve bottomless mimosas. Though you’ll never admit it, these are the friends you hope to be in like, you know, 10 years?
The “In a relationship with my phone friend,” friend – This dude or dudette is the absolute worst to go out with. While their social media platforms (and I emphasize the plural on this one) makes them look like the coolest people on earth, hanging out with them in public is the pits. While you try and make conversation with them, they are constantly texting, Facebooking, Instagraming or "checking in" (whatever the eff that is). It is amazing how they can even tag where they are because they haven’t looked up from their phone long enough to see the name of the bar. While bars are bad enough, heading to a concert with this person is just embarrassing. They stay on their phones the whole show, take pictures, record entire songs (while obstructing views) and instead of listening to the closer, use that entire time to instantly post set lists, videos and pictures to the World Wide Web. Barf!
The “Turned my life around,” friend: This is the friend you have to respect. While in high school or college this friend had the reputation of being “that” guy, this person is definitely no longer a “that,” anymore. While you maybe never saw them in class for the entirety of your time in school together (they couldn't tell you what the classrooms even looked like), they completely turned their act around since you last saw them. No more crazy nights out or “Leaving Las Vegas,” weekends for them anymore. Nope, they are now in a good job, have great relationships with their friends and loved ones and are great at intellectual conversation. You never would have called it, but you're happy for the change.
The “Person I want to be,” friend: This is the pinnacle of the grown up ladder. This person followed the path they wanted to be on, and now, they are exactly where they want to be. Maybe their path didn't appease their loved ones and friends all the time, but the fact is, they are happy. In fact, their happiness is contagious, and while they may have a great career or maybe not, whatever it is, you can tell they made the right choices. They are ostentatious with their happiness, but it is undeniable and welcome. Doing their own thing and being the person they wanted to be paid off in the fullest.
It is never too late to become the person you want to be. Growing up is inevitable, but how you do it is up to your own choosing.
