Please stay young, why are you trying to grow up so fast? Enjoy your childhood and youth.
I see you all with your trendy clothes and latest make-up styles, what is the draw to be "older".
As a twenty-one year old, I wish some days I could go back to your age not having to be worried about, how I’m going to pay all my bills this month, keeping up with my college course work, trying to keep up with my friends, finding a job and getting turned down, and the list goes on and on.
I want to go back to the days where the only big choices were whose house we are having a sleepover at, which sport to play, where grades aren't your primary focus, and seeing my mom every day. The days when all I cared about which Barbie or Polly Pocket to play with, which Disney movie to watch, and what Mom was making for dinner.
The days when I got to see my best friends on a daily basis instead of when we are home on break, if then. The days when I could see my mom and twin sister every day and could hug and love them. The days when I could see my family on the weekends either for watching football games or eating dinner then having a huge fight but knowing at the end of the day that we love each other. The days when I could stay up late talking to my twin about everything that I was feeling. The days when I would go visit my grandparents up in the mountains and run around the living room, making cookies, playing board games, and cuddling on the recliners watching the Disney Channel or movies. The days when I would wait until my mom got off work so that I could tell her what happened during the day.
To the teenagers who want to look older and be older, just wait. Depending on how much longer you have until graduation day, you either have a few months to four years to enjoy being home. I miss the days when I would run from band practice to ROTC Drill practice to French Club to National Honor Society to History Club and then finally getting home to do homework because those days I knew I would be going home to my mom, grandparents, and sister with dinner on the table and the hours we would spend together. The days when my mom, sister and I would go out to our little downtown to spend the day together walking around or going to see a double-feature. These are the days to spend quality time with your family because once you go away to college either a few hours away or across the country those days will only be memories.
My generation grew up with the internet while you are growing up in the internet and social media. Carrying all the pressures that come along with it. You see on any social media how my generation is dressing and how we do our makeup, and you want to be the same. My generation and the ones before mine all went through an awkward stage. Where we would struggle between being children and teenagers, but now you're not able to go through that stage. You're bullied either in person or primarily online where the bully hides and doesn't have to confront their victims. The pressure of being someone else's view of perfect and acting older is forcing your generation to skip over this important stage of personal growth. An important step that helps you grow and develop into who you want to be.
A little bit of advice from this Millennial, actually Gen Y, is to slow down and enjoy life. Go out, be young, make mistakes, look a little foolish, it's okay, it's that thing called life. Go to as many sleepovers, school events, mall trips, and family trips. Remember that once you leave home either for college, military or workforce, being carefree and worry-free are in the past.
Whether you are becoming a teenager or are one, just take the time to see who you are and who you want to be in the future. Be true to you. Don’t let the pressures of this world or your peers get to you. Remember that you are still young. Enjoy being home. Hug your parents, siblings, friends, and family because one day you will become an adult where everything changes. My final bit of wisdom is to "go live your life and live it to the fullest".
