Senior kinesiology major
Growing up, I always remembered thinking to myself, “Man, I can’t wait to be an adult.” To me, this meant being able to do whatever I wanted and answer to no one but myself. As I’ve grown up, I have found that my naive view of adulthood was not accurate whatsoever. As you get older, you might not answer to your parents as much, but you begin to answer to different authority figures, such as the IRS or your employer. In fact, you are told what to do more frequently as an adult than as a child. While that might seem like a drawback, many positives come out of growing up and being an adult. As an adult, you have a deeper understanding of yourself and your environment. Your actions also have the potential to help shape the future, and you earn your own way in the world.
Developing a deeper understanding of yourself and your environment might sound borderline cheesy, but it is one of the most rewarding parts of being an adult. When you are younger and you get mad about something, you might become livid without understanding the underlying reasons. It is comforting to be able to reason through your emotions, instead of being blinded by them. This also extends to your immediate environment. As a child, you might be in a situation you find uncomfortable and run away from it. As an adult, you become mature enough to deal with your discomfort internally and continue doing your job. The actions of today shaping the future of tomorrow is another cheesy premise, but one that is nonetheless true. Choosing a profession sets you on a path that could potentially alter your future as well as many others’. If you look at people who chose to enter politics and eventually became president, their choice of that path had very real effects on the world. So when making decisions as an adult you must be conscious of the path you are setting yourself on.
Money makes the world go round. Never has a truer statement been said. When you are a kid most of your expenses are covered, but you often cannot afford to do anything on your own. As an adult with a job, many doors begin to open for you to purchase or experience a variety of things. You can purchase a new gaming system or fly to Europe and see things you have always wanted to see. Earning your own way might be difficult at times, but it is one of the ultimate rewards of being an adult.
For those who are graduating, try to keep an open mind about being an adult and embrace the responsibility. It is going to be best, and at times the worst, but you will have to deal with it like an adult and simply keep moving forward.
Ian Lacy is a senior kinesiology major. He can be reached at ilacydbk@gmail.com.
