When I was younger. becoming an adult looked like the best thing ever. I used to think that once I grew up I would have complete freedom. Nobody would be telling me what to do, I would make my own money, go wherever I wanted and buy anything I liked. At that time adulthood looked very sweet from far away But now that I am getting older, I am beginning to understand that adulthood is not as easy as I imagined. In fact sometimes I just look back at my childhood and laugh at myself for being in such a hurry to grow up, One of the biggest surprises is responsibility.
When you are young many things are handled for you. Food is available, bills are somebody else's problem and when something gets damaged, you don't really think too much about how it will be fixed
But as you grow older, you start realizing that almost everything requires money and effort. You want to eat? You need money.
You want to travel somewhere? Money.
You need clothes or something important? Money again.
And as a student the situation can sometimes be even more interesting because you are not fully settled yet but you already have responsibilities.You are still going to school attending lectures and writing exams, but at the same time, you have personal problems and family responsibilities to think about, Sometimes your phone can ring early in the morning, and suddenly somebody needs your help with something, You may have planned to rest that day, but now you have to leave the house and start moving around.
That is when you begin to understand that being an adult is not only about freedom,
Freedom comes with responsibility too.
Another thing I have noticed is that adulthood comes with plenty of decisions, Some decisions may look small but they can affect you later. You have to think carefully about money, friendships, school, work and the kind of life you want to build.
Sometimes there is nobody to make the decision for you. You have to sit down and think, "Okay what am I supposed to do now?” And honestly, sometimes you may not even know the answer.
There are days when I wish life came with a manual. Imagine opening a book and seeing “Chapter 5: What To Do When You Are Confused About Your Future.” That would make things easier But unfortunately everybody is somehow figuring things out as they go.
Another thing about growing up is realizing that people also have their own problems, When you are younger you may think adults have everything under control. You see them working, making decisions and handling different situations, so you assume they know exactly what they are doing But as you grow older, you realize that many adults are also learning and figuring out life.
They just have more responsibilities
That realization changed the way I see people. I have also noticed that time starts moving very fast. One moment you are waiting for the weekend and before you know it, another month has passed. You start remembering things that happened years ago and wondering how time moved so quickly. That is why I think growing up teaches us to appreciate time more,
Adulthood may not be as easy as I imagined when I was younger but I don't think it is completely bad either. Yes, there is stress, responsibility and plenty of things to worry about But there is also growth.
You learn how to make decisions. You learn from mistakes You discover what kind of person you want to become.
So even though adulthood sometimes makes me miss the simple days of childhood, I know growing up is part of life. For now I am just taking it one day at a time Because honestly, nobody has everything figured out. We are all just trying our best, paying bills when they come, solving problems when they appear and hoping tomorrow will be a little easier than today.
Adulthood may not be the freedom I imagined as a child but I guess learning how to handle life is part of the journey too.
