There seems to be an obsession with youngness in our culture. You always see ads on television promoting products that will make you look younger. Adults like to joke about their age. A fifty-year-old on her birthday, for example, may jokingly tell a friend she just turned thirty. I might flatter my mother by telling her she doesn’t look a day over forty. Being a young college student, people always tell me to enjoy it while it lasts. Many adults reminisce on their college days, calling them “the best days of their life.” The truth is, no matter where you are in life, the best days are here and now.
It’s not just my elders who tend to be dissatisfied with their age. I am guilty of it as well. Sometimes I miss my childhood. I feel that I didn’t realize how good it was until it was over. I had no responsibilities. I had an incredible imagination, I had fun with my friends, and the littlest things brought me such great joy. Life was so carefree, and the future was overly optimistic. I was shielded from the harsh realities of this world. I had little knowledge of sickness and death, I had never heard the word rape, and I didn’t watch the news filled with catastrophic events and threats of terrorist attacks. While my childhood wasn’t perfect, looking back on it, it was a lot of fun and my worries were few and far between.
On the other hand, there are times I actually wish I was older. Part of me doesn’t want to be dependent on my parents. Sometimes I get overwhelmed with school, and I wish I could just be done so I could get a job and move on with my life. I find myself just trying to get through the day, rather than really living and enjoying it. I think about my future. I think about having a career, getting married, and having a family someday. I am in so much of a hurry to get things done and to get on with my life that sometimes I forget to take a breath and just enjoy where I am.
I had a good childhood, and it’s okay to reminisce on that, but I need to be happy with where I am now. I have hopes and dreams for my future, but, in pursing my aspirations, I need to slow down and take a moment to enjoy my life. When I look back on my childhood, I see how great it was. My current life is great too, though. I have so many opportunities to get involved at school and to meet new people. While I have taken on more responsibility, there a lot of things I don’t have to worry about, such as paying for my own food, housing, and car insurance. Someday I will realize how amazing this all is. I don’t want to wait until I’m thirty, forty, fifty years old to realize how good I have it now. The day will come for me to get married and have a family, but right now I should enjoy being a college student, work hard, have fun, and enjoy this time while it lasts.
I think this is important idea for everyone, not just for young college students like myself. Being a kid is great, but so is being an adult. Twenty is a great age, but so is thirty, forty, fifty, and sixty, all for different reasons. As a child and teen, life is fun and carefree. As a young adult, you have to take on more responsibility, but with that comes more independence. Being able to work, make money, and have your own family is great too. At an older age, you are able to retire and possibly enjoy some grandchildren. Hopefully, when you near the end of your life, you can look back and know that you thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. Whether you’re sixteen or eighty-six, accept where you are in life, and make the best of it. Enjoy every moment while you can. The best days are not behind you or ahead of you. The best days are right here and right now.
