Once upon a time, I was ten years old, living life lavishly with a Kool-Aid Jammer in my hand. I did not have a care in the world besides going to gymnastics practice before I had soccer. Besides not getting in trouble for talking out of turn in class, I thought I was living the good life. No way at ten could I ever imagine what life would be like for me in another ten years. It seemed so far away. I couldn’t fathom the idea of having to save money and not buy everything I wanted out of the store. My parents provided me with every necessity and then some growing up. I never realized that one day my dad would tell me to “use your own money” to buy something I wanted when he was with me yet, here I am ten years later, my perception of what life really is has developed tremendously. In other words, reality struck and it struck hard.
Everyday when I wake up, I think of all the responsibilities I have for that day and then complain to myself about how I don’t want to do any of them. However, I know if I neglect my responsibilities, I’ll pay for it later. Other young adults my age are working at their jobs, paying for their gas, or doing other adult like activities. We can’t live at home for forever and bills are going to be scattered across the coffee table in our name that we have to pay for. Time flies, such a generic phrase with so much truth instilled within it.
In another ten years I’ll be thirty years old, that’s actually a really scary thought. Yet I’m hopeful that I will be on the verge of starting a family of my own, yet nervous because babies are a lot of work. Right now I think they’re great because I can give them back to their parent when I’ve had my fill. Someday someone will feel the way I do now when they hand me back my child. I remember back to when I thought boys were gross and all I wanted to do was beat them up. I’m sure my ten-year-old self is laughing at me for aspiring to marriage and starting a family because ten years ago that was not a thought in my underdeveloped mind.
Simple fact of the matter is that reality is going to hit you, bills will have to be paid, the kids will have to be picked up and dropped off for practice, and dinner will have to be made. We can’t live with our mom and dad forever, they will no longer pay for items we want to have. Kool-Aid Jammers turn into glasses of Chardonnay. Soon we’ll be 60 years old. How crazy is that though? We’ve lived our lives and now it’s time to watch the next generation grow up. When reality strikes, we are sometimes weary for we know not what to expect, but refrain from living life with fear, dive into new adventures and make mistakes along the way. Reality strikes hard, that’s when we strike back.
