growing up

It's sort of funny. When I was in grade-school I thought I'd be grown up once I graduated at the ripe old age of 18. I distinctly remember having a conversation outside with another kid that had my same name. I said something to the effect of, it'll be so cool to be a grown up when I turn 18 in X years. Then the other kid responded with something like "that'll be in 2001" and I said it probably didn't matter much then anyway because the world will be ending in the year 2000. Oh the stupid stuff kids say. We were so wrong on both counts!

Anyway, after graduating high school. I thought I'd be all grown up once I graduated college and got my first full-time job. Well I think I was wrong about that too. Sure I had a full-time job, but I was still such a kid at heart. I wanted to go party and clubbing, the world was all about me and what I could get for myself to make me happy. I ate whatever whenever. I still couldn't get a date. And I still had so much time on my hands that I still keept up to date with the latest music and had all the coolest electronic gadgets! I certainly felt grown up!

But now, I am coming to a major realization. You really don't stop growing up. My dad used to always say that his great grandfather used to tell him. I never stop learning. Well I guess that's kind of what growing up is, learning and growing. My life has changed so much in the past few years. I've certainly learned a whole lot, but not in the form of academics. I've learned a lot about life. And now that I've really had a good long time to think about it. I've learned to agree with what my dad said. I will never stop learning. I will never stop growing up. Sometimes it makes me sad to think that I couldn't pass as a college student anymore. But then I realize that I am just in another new and wonderful learning phase in my life. The newlywed phase.

It's really a great time in life. We are both learning not to be so self-centered and we are developing lots of new hobbies like smoking meat and sewing. Skills that most of us definitely would attribute to our parents. We're growing up into roles that would lead us to be parents one day. It's crazy to think that one day I just stopped wanting to go clubbing and drinking, and I started lusting over a nice chunk of smoked meat. Well, it wasn't really a one day thing, but it really is amazing that as you grow, you change so much. It's exciting to see myself, my friends, and family growing. I realize that learning and growing really is one of the key components to the human condition. It's beautiful.