We begin our lives so oblivious to the actual world. This is for obvious reasons, but think about it: as a child, or even a young boy/girl, did you ever think about (warning I'm about to get gloomy) dying? I hate to go there, but it's true. Young children very seldom think of death. Obviously, they're sheltered to a certain extent and it helps for children to mature before being exposed to the actualities of the world we live in. However, the transition from oblivious to understanding (or, beginning to) is interesting, to say the least.

We hear it all the time: teenagers think they're immortal. It's true. I mean I never once thought that I would be the one to get hurt. I never believed that I would be involved in the school shooting, car crash, or *insert tragedy*. I'm not exactly sure anyone believes that they would be caught up in those scenarios. We see these accidents dramatized in the media all the time, and it kind of desensitizes us to the fact that these events do, in fact, happen to everyday, ordinary people. There have been thousands affected by school shootings across the nation. Car crashes are the leading killer of teenagers (that statistic isn't made up,) people drown, get shot, or die of disease all the time. It's just weird that young men and women seem to think that it can't happen to them too.

Getting older, I'm slowly realizing that I am not immortal, that no one is. Life is fragile. You and I aren't meant to be on this earth forever and that reality is slowly sinking in. You begin to see headlines of drunk driving accidents killing innocent victims and it becomes easier to see your name, or a loved one's, in the same headline. You go from thinking "That could never happen to me." to "Wow, I really need to pay more attention to the drivers around me on the road." From "I'd never get cancer." to "I should really apply more sunscreen so I don't burn."

I know all of this sounds bad. Like, why would you want to realize all of this? It sounds like getting older sucks (I hear that one all the time.) I don't think this is a bad thing though. I actually appreciate the understanding. Knowing that you can potentially die today is a sobering thought. You begin to live your life with more purpose. You no longer like to sleep your days away, but you go out and you experience life because you know your time is limited. You're safe and you take precautions, but you do your best to live your life to its fullest potential, and isn't that the meaning of life?

I think becoming more aware is a good thing. It makes us more responsible, understanding, lenient, nicer, and happier. We see the world as it is and it's scary, but overall it benefits us as people. Take that for what its worth and keep on keeping on!