I’m almost 20-years- old, I pay rent and utilities and work practically full time. The one thing I hate more than anything in the world is when people tell me to “grow up.” What does that even mean?
This past week I went to see “Finding Dory” with my mom. I felt like such a kid, like I wasn’t 19 and buried in debt already. Part of being a millennial is the nostalgia that comes with it. Reminiscing about the good ole days, being young and all the great things that we remember about being a kid.
The thing is, I have pictures from being young hanging in my room. I still watch Disney movies and sing along to every lyric. I’m still searching for 3D Doritos and Wonderballs. I’m no more of an adult now than I was a few years ago, people just trust me with more than they used to.
I’m the biggest kid at heart and I don’t feel like as I grow old, that I have to lose the part of myself that is still innocent and happy. I’d give anything to spend my summers the way I did when I was younger. Whether that was playing with my doll house, running through sprinklers, taking a daily nap and having the craziest adventures.
Waking up when I was younger meant not having a plan and enjoying every day, rain or shine. There was no schedule, no direction to the day, just enjoying myself. We get too consumed with plans and schedules as adults that we forget to really enjoy ourselves and the lives we’ve been given.
I’ve been doing just fine up to this point living the way I have. Who said that growing old, means growing up? It’s important to not lose yourself as you get older. Maintaining that balance between being an adult and having responsibilities, and being a kid and just having fun. We can’t quit our jobs or stop going to school, but living a life with more whimsy never hurt anyone.
Peter Pan taught us not to grow up, it’s a trap. Once you grow up you can never go back, never. I don’t feel like a grown up, and it’s probably because I haven’t. I see what it has done to people. It makes people boring and grouchy. I want to wake up every day excited and happy to be here on this planet.
Never take yourself too seriously and never listen to grownups when they tell you to grow up. Forever be a kid at heart, forever love and dream like you're still little, never grow up. Growing old is not an option, but growing up is.
