I've
heard it my whole life. "High school was the best time of my
life. No job. No responsibilities, hanging out with your friends all
day." "University was the best time of my life. Away from
home, drinking all the time, hardly going to class." "I'm
getting old, things aren't the way they use to be..." "I
wish I could go back" and things of that nature. You hear
anything similar?
I'm
sure I'm not the only person who feels this way but getting old isn't
as bad as people make it seem. I distinctly remember being in an
English class in high school and the teacher told the class that at
the present moment, this was the best time of her life. Not high
school, not university, now. I remember it because it was probably
the first time I heard someone say that getting old wasn't all that
bad. I see now where she was coming from. Being in high school for
sure has its positives. Living with your parents, nothing all that
serious you need to worry about, see your friends every day, house
parties to go to, sports to play, life is good. University is also
great. Studying what you want to study, being away from home, eating
cookies for breakfast, going out, learning to talk to girls, reading
week, finding houses to live in with your best friends, playing video
games, having fire extinguisher fights, etc. I feel like I was taught
that the "real world" is a scary place where you need to
fend for yourself, awful 9-5's, bills, bosses, mortgages and the
like. Some of that is definitely true. I've experienced hating
my job, not having money (still an issue), dealing with cell phone
bills, commuting, making new friends outside of school, paying an
exorbitant $250 a month for rent at your cousin's house; it's an
adjustment. But as an adult, I can do ANYTHING I want. I can book a
one-way ticket to Moscow and nobody could stop me. I could buy 50
beers and try to drink them all in one day and nobody would stop me;
people would probably join me.
As an adult, nobody tells you really
want to do. Other than the police and all of their rules, day-to-day
you are generally free to live your life the way you see fit. As a
kid, you are at the whim of your parents. Mom wants you to go to
Renfrew for the weekend? Think you've got a choice? Parents want you
to go to an all Catholic, completely French speaking school your
entire life without either of them being able to help you learn
French? Better start studying. Not that I had a hard childhood in the
least, I was spoiled, just ask my brother or sisters. But in the end,
my mom was in charge and I was aware of that fact.
Being
able to choose what job you want, how to spend your money, being able
to go to Vegas and gamble, it's just awesome. I guess I still feel
like a little kid inside. The fact that I don't have a bed time still
makes me happy and I can watch as much TV as I want still gives me
some sort of satisfaction. So if you have noticed the years slowly
passing you by, try to look back in fondness about earlier days but
don't forget to appreciate the freedom, the choices and the
opportunities you have before you. And if you're thinking "Well
I had freedom until I had kids" that shouldn't be a complaint.
You know how babies are made and still, you own that kid. You can
make them do whatever you want. You can dress them in cute little
outfits, make them learn an instrument and basically mold them into
what you want them to be like. They also say hilarious things.
"I have reached an age when, if someone tells me to
wear socks, I don't have to." Albert Einstein
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