For as long as I can remember, I have always been in love with punk music, as well as other genres such as hip-hop, R&B and some pop.
There have been many times where I run into someone in public and still have the angst to come up to them and tell them how sick their shirt is (with one of my favorite bands on it). The question as to how many Vans I've gone through in the past couple years is unthinkable. How many bruises I've gotten from crowd surfing at shows? These are all questions that I continue to ask myself, but more importantly, I always stop and ask myself one more important one...
I'll be 24 in January, will I ever 'outgrow' this genre?
I think the answer to that question goes with just about any growing up experience. Will I ever stop going to shows even when I'm 30? To be honest, I do not think I will ever outgrow a genre that has allowed me to grow and get through some of the toughest times in my life.
I could not ask for any better way to cope with certain issues than to listen to lyrics that I could yell at the top of my lungs without a care in the world. So to answer my own question, I do not believe that one outgrows a Vans wearing, pizza eating, windbreaking genre.
To all my fellow punk kids, this one's for you.