Thinking back to when I was younger, all I wanted to do was to grow up. I couldn’t wait to be 16, driving a car on my own. Then 18, the freedom of being a legal adult. Then finally 21, being able to purchase alcohol. But now I am 21 years old and, as crazy as I may sound, I’d give everything to go back to when I was younger.
How scary is the thought of actually being a “grown-up?” The idea of becoming independent from your parents is fun, but I’m terrified when I actually think about being on my own.
Often when thinking about my childhood, I believe I took too much for granted. Everything then was so much simpler than what we realized. When we were young, what seemed like the end of the world was nothing compared to the obstacles and challenges we face as we get older. Being young was equivalent to living “the simple life,” and I am not afraid to admit I want that back.
Maybe it’s because I am sitting here, writing my last column for the summer session as the fall semester of my senior year is approaching, that I feel so overwhelmed with the changes that will happening in the near future. But what I do know is that life never slows down for the people who just aren’t ready to move forward. Life just doesn’t allow you to stick around in the same spot until you’re ready for change.
Like I mentioned in my first column this summer, “life is constantly changing and we’re changing with it.”
There was once a time in college where I faced the decision to change my major halfway through my sophomore year and I felt so incredibly unsure and scared of what it would do for my future.
It threw a curve ball into what I had planned for my life, but I learned very quickly that changes will happen, whether or not they are intended.
It’s all about how you handle the changes in your life. I believe it’s easier to roll with the punches and take life head-on.
Although I’m completely and utterly terrified for what my senior year and my life after college has in store for me, I know that I can’t just pause time until I’m ready to experience these changes.
After all, we are all experiencing changes in life that scare us more than we ever could imagine, but that’s just a part of life and becoming your own person.
Remember that even if you’re not ready for changes and wish you could go back to the “simple life,” life continues and can bring a much more satisfying outcome to you.
I hope that we, including myself, can embrace life’s changes and have more confidence when experiencing these obstacles.
I want to wish everyone a great and successful school year. Roll with the punches, accept the changes and be as great as you ever could be.
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