We all know the beloved Blink 182 song, "What's my age again." I'm even fairly certain that at 13 years old, you jumped around in your basement with your scene (emo was so last year) friends belting out the lyrics at the top of your longs, screaming "Nobody likes you when you're 23." Then, somehow, in the blink of an eye, your first couple of years being a teen turns into your sweet 16, the year you have your first boyfriend, go to your first prom and finally get to drive around with independence.
Then your last years of high school come to an end, and you look into the future optimistically for your last first year of college. You're officially an "adult" and you abruptly feel a combination of nerves and excitement as you venture on your first adventure alone. The next couple of years of your college fly by. Somehow along the way, the memories of late night adventures, 24-hour diner trips, and late night drives all become part of your freshman year past. The birthday your friends joke they hope you survive comes 21. You make it out the next day, and thus begins the year of venturing to happy hour and margarita Monday. These golden birthdays somehow come to an end.
23. This has been the first birthday, I feel I little hesitant about. I know, some of you are reading this rolling your eyes, thinking how young I am, how much I have to learn, and how much of my life is less. Don't worry, I am here to articulate how my days are fleeting and my carefree days are over. But I have to say, when August 5th came up faster than I expected it to this year, I felt a little anxious.
This was the first birthday that I didn't feel like I was waiting for. I wasn't waiting for the first drive I would take like I did when I finally turned 16. I wasn't waiting to meet my freshman roommate and take my first college class. I wasn't waiting for the first time I could finally go out sip sangria during happy hour with my mom.
I wasn't waiting for anything, and in all honesty, it startled me. As I waited for the clock to read midnight, on August 4th, I played in my bed thinking about how 23 really was a year of uncertainty. There was no "waiting" for set timelines in my life that I knew would happen. Instead, there was an unknown and secrecy alighted with the next path of my life. While this was a bit shocking and frightening at first, I contemplated on the idea that there was no waiting for the next step; I was here I was present within the next part or uncertainty of my life.
It took me 23 years to truly realize that there is no point of waiting for Friday on a Monday, but instead, make the most of the week and wonder what could make you smile on a Wednesday.
There isn't a reason for wanting to know when you'll find your soulmate, instead make connections and develop relationships with everyone that makes you feel energized, rather than drained.
There is no wait to end something that isn't making you happy. Whether this is a job or a friendship, parts or people of your life will stay if they are meant to. There is no realization that waiting for the apology, to come even when it might not.
There is no explanation for why we should wait on life because it doesn't wait for us.
So even if you're turning 15 or 50, whatever makes you happy, don't wait for it. Life goes by too fast to wait on happiness, rather than being it now.