There are few better things than being the oldest friend in your circle, but sometimes, that also comes at a price. For one, you're older, and that means many things come your way before they do to your close pals. Below are just a couple of reasons why being older was either a good thing or a bad thing.
1. Driving
While some people may wait to get their license, or not get it at all, others, like myself, jumped at the earliest opportunity to operate a motor vehicle. However, being the only kid in my group of close friends in high school to have a car, much less operate it sans an adult, I became the chauffeur. Not only did I drive Miss Daisy, but I also drove all of my friends around. To school, to each others' houses, to Walmart (because there was nowhere else 16 and 17-year-olds could really go in my hometown), and to Denny's. Because I drove so much, I learned to really appreciate being able to control where we went and how we got there, and driving is something I would still rather do myself than have one of my friends do (mostly because they scare me half to death when they drive). It's reminiscent of old times, and it's calming. Also, I can charge extra for gas money and play my own music, which is definitely a plus!
2. Parenting
Being the oldest, I tend to take a parental role in caring and being there for my friends, whether it be in driving, as mentioned above, or in just listening to problems and rants. When we're driving back from a long day of hanging out at Busch Gardens or King's Dominion, I make sure to drive more smoothly and play the music lower when they fall asleep. When they call or text, I listen to their stories and only provide advice when they ask. I'd probably even go so far as to tuck them in and read a bedtime story to them if they wanted, but that would be weird and would only result in rapturous laughter.
3. Responsibility
With age comes responsibility, and that meant I had more freedom to do things than my friends. After turning 18, I could be out past 11 p.m. in my town (where there was a curfew for kids 17 and under). Also, my parents were a bit more lenient in letting me stay out later, so I never really had a time when I needed to be home, but many of my friends did. I had a car, I had a job, and I had no curfew. It may have been limiting, but it taught me to appreciate the time I had with my friends, and that sometimes, being older is better. Sometimes? Being older is always better!
4. Going Out
A downside with being the oldest in your group of friends is that when you turn a certain age, like 18 or 21, you have to experience new responsibility by yourself. I wasn't able to go out to a bar with my friends when I turned 21, but I was still able to to go Outback Steakhouse and order my own drink. And you know what? It was amazing. Going out and getting wasted at bars wasn't what I needed, I just needed to be around people who cared about it, and took the time to see me on my birthday.
I've learned that my friends are an extension of myself. I've learned a lot from them, and I've grown with them. Just because they're younger doesn't mean they're any less important, amazing, and inspirational. They ground me, and they are there for me. If being the oldest friend has taught me anything, it's that the friends I've made are friends for life.
