You’re young; you’re only 18 years old…
You’re 19 years old; you have your whole life ahead of you…
You’re only 20; you’re still a kid…
You’re only 21; you have plenty of time…
I’m twenty-two years old now, and I’m wondering at what age do I stop hearing those phrases? Why do people condition us to think life is a timeline, and we’re kids until we’re what…25…30? Did our parents wait to travel the world when they we’re “only kids”, or did they wait to move out and get married? When our parents tell us their stories about Woodstock, or driving across the country, or how they had to live in their parents’ basement together and save up for their own place, they didn’t sound like they were “just kids”. Did their parents see them as two naiveté kids rushing into marriage too soon? Did other generations tell them they were too young to explore life for what it really is, a challenge, a risk; an unknown abyss? I know it’s their duty as a parent to warn us of life’s little twist and turns, because they’ve been there, and therefore they know better. However, they know better from experience, not because they listened to their parents the first, second, or third time they warned them that moving to another state on a whim was a mistake. You have to fall flat on your face to be able to pick yourself up.
So kids, whether you’re 20…25…or only 18, I urge you to think about the consequences, consider how much your parents love you (Will they let you move back in if you do fail miserably?), and do the math on the odds (Can I really make it big as an actor in LA or am I doomed to be a waiter the rest of my life?), but most importantly, follow your heart. If my grandfather didn’t follow his heart, and had chosen the army over the love of his life, maybe he would have lost her. If Michael J. Fox didn’t believe enough in himself to struggle to become an actor, he wouldn’t be the icon that he is today. It doesn’t matter if you’re somebody, or nobody, or another one of us crazy kids, take your shot while it’s still there. Whether you make it big, or you become stronger from fighting through the biggest mistake of your life, it’ll make you a better person. You’ll always regret losing the girl of your dreams because you were to afraid to run away with her. But if you run away with her and it works out, or it doesn’t, at least you’ll feel better knowing you tried and you’ll always have your own stories to tell your kids and grandkids about your chance at young love. No matter what the situation is, keep in mind, you’re going to remember it for the rest of your life, as the shot you took, or the regret you can’t let go. How you remember it is entirely up to you!
Moderate comments