Last week, I received a message from the editor of Arcadia University's Odyssey. She informed be that I was accepted as a contributor and I could start writing as soon as possible. She sent me a link to create an account so I could begin publishing my work. I set up a profile where it wanted me to add a tagline and a bio.
As I started writing the bio I caught myself thinking: What do I want to be when I grow up?
Am I not grown up?
I’m 21 years old, living on my own in college, and I’m going to be graduating next May only to enter the “real world.”
I know I’m not the only person in their early 20’s who struggles to call themselves an “Adult.” It’s an intimidating term. What do we know of adults right now? They have jobs that provide financial security for themselves and their families (should an adult choose to have family), they pay their bills in a timely manner, and they don’t spend entire paychecks on useless things they “need” on Amazon. One word to sum it up: Responsible.
If you Google the meaning of adult, it tells you that it’s a person who is fully grown or developed. In response, I say: “I am fully grown.”
Am I fully developed, though? Well, what is developed? Developed, Google defines, is being elaborated to a specified degree. Now that doesn’t apply as well to human life as it does countries or economic plans. Being developed is to become fully realized, that is, understanding who you are, what you want to do (when you “grow up”), and making efforts to make strides in that field.
Image Courtesy of Geektak.com
My freshman year of college I was enrolled in The University of Pittsburgh’s Nursing Program. I chose that career based solely on the fact that it pays well and I’d be almost guaranteed a job since nurses are always needed. After two years of preparing for nursing school and after actually beginning my nursing classes I realized I hated it. I wanted out but I didn’t know what else I wanted to do.
Halloween came around and I helped a club on campus make a haunted house out of an old residence hall. I’ve always been sort of a control freak so I began to take control of the situation, I met with the director of the event (the school nurse) frequently to go over ideas, I helped with decorating very often, and when the day came for people to come visit it I felt like I was the director of a movie – I may not have officially been in charge, but I felt like I was and I think some people thought I was.
This one small event helped me understand what I wanted to be – a film maker. I’ve always been interested in film, and I have TONS of ideas that I want to develop further. So I changed my major and I transferred to a different school.
While my major isn’t exactly film, I’ve tailored it so it’s pretty close. Video Communications teaches me how films are made, and my minors in Cinema Studies and Creative Writing will help me with developing and writing my ideas.
By these standards of adulthood, I would say that I am an adult. While I may not be out in the field creating Academy Award winning films, I have a goal and I am currently working towards achieving it.
Understanding yourself and your goals (career, relationship etc. etc.) and taking the steps to achieve them makes us adults.
