Saturday marked another year on this planet for me. Another time for celebration and gifts. Yet every year, my birthday lacks the one gift I want the most — a voice. This doesn't mean a voice literally, but rather a voice that will actually be taken seriously by those older than me on topics that actually mean something.

As a 19-year-old, I am legally considered an adult. This means that my parents are no longer in charge of my life; I am responsible for myself. Though this is the case, it is next to impossible to have a conversation with an adult without having them look at you like a child who has no idea how the world works. Why is this? Yes, as young adults we have had less time in the world than our elders, but we also bring a new perspective to ideas that is unique to our generation. When these perspectives are brought up in conversation, it is very common for those older than us to just dismiss us and continue talking to the others in the group. And this age gap doesn't have to be huge to create this rift in conversations. It can be a gap as small as a year.

Our society believes that the younger you are, the less credible of a source you become. What this doesn't take into account is that every person has a different level of experience in different parts of life. One person may have the experience of a wise man yet still be in their teens while another lucky soul may not have had those experiences, placing them lower on the experience scale. The more experience, both good and bad, that a person encounters in their life, the more wisdom that person gains. So wisdom should not be based on age, but rather on the experiences encountered in one's life that qualifies them to talk about a subject.

It is time to realize this truth.

It is time to allow me to have a voice.