Eighteen

How at eighteen are we an "adult"? Is it because we've finished high school? Is it because we can vote? Is it because we can enlist ourselves in the Armed Forces to fight for our country? What exactly at EIGHTEEN makes us an adult? Because as far as I know, I'm not. Some people at eighteen are just getting their first job, but the United States is going to let me vote on politics that had zero interest to me for eighteen years. So I am able to enlist myself in the armed forces to defend our country, yet, I can't go out and buy an alcoholic beverage? I can't rent a car, I can't even rent a hotel room alone. How is it that I can vote, but not drink? I can go off to war, but not rent a car or hotel room?

Turning eighteen legally makes us an "adult" but an adult in what way? I can fly to Las Vegas, but when I get there I can't rent a car to get around while I'm there, or even have a hotel room to stay in. Why at eighteen when I'm an adult can I not do this? In my opinion, if I'm going to be categorized as an adult, I should be allowed to do everything that actual adults are allowed to do. If not, DO NOT put me in that category because it's nothing but a lie.

The United States is the only country that does not fully treat their eighteen year old's as actual adults. The way I see it, I'm a pretend adults they like to use. Think about it, we're young and naive. We're fresh. They start throwing politics at you and now you can vote for who should be the next leader, and those running for President are directly targeting you. Everyone and everything is targeting you.

To be honest, I didn't realize I was a pretend adult until I was in college. I was planning on going on a spring-break trip and called several hotels about booking a room and they asked for my date of birth when I said "1997" they said I'd need to bring someone of age meaning twenty-one or older. When the lady said "someone of age" in my head I thought to myself, "Am I not of age?" I was so hyped when I turned eighteen, I mean it's a big deal (or so I thought). Now, I'm nineteen counting down to my twenty first birthday, because it's not until I am twenty-one that I'd be officially considered an adult. So to all of you looking forward to turning eighteen, just know it's not as "freedom filled" as it seems. Like I told my little sister, "When you're eighteen, the best thing you can do is get into a club", and as my mom emphasized to her, "you can only get in". You're awkwardly in the middle of being not being a "teen" and not being an "adult".

So Keep Calm Because You're Only 18 !