There's nothing enjoyable about the seasons changing from fall to winter. Sure, we have the holidays to look forward to, but living in New York just means the weather is unbearable during those harsh winter months. To top it all off, getting sick as a result of the temperature shift only makes matters worse. Here we are at the start of February and it feels as though I've been sick nonstop since November. I can't seem to recall a moment when I could breathe out of my nose. I imagine it's nice. I find myself experiencing an overwhelming feeling of dread the second I realize I'm coming down with something. It makes me think about my younger years and how getting sick was something I seemed to beg for so that I could stay home from school. As a twenty something, falling ill just means having some time to spend in bed while you worry about the endless list of things you have to do already and the new pile that has been created because of your absence. It sure makes me miss being young and carefree. Here is a contrastive list of the sickly situations between childhood and adulthood:

When you first start to feel sick

Then:

Now:

Sometimes you feel that initial symptom out of nowhere, at any point during the day. Sometimes it just hits you as soon as you wake up. If you're really unlucky, you'll wake up feeling it in the middle of the night with no chance of falling back asleep. Either way, you just know something isn't right. Getting sick has never been the best, but when you're younger it means you don't have to go to school, so you don't really care how poorly you're going to feel. However, as an adult, it's only going to slow you down rather than halt your responsibilities. Not. good.

When you're not sick enough to stay home

Then:

Now:

When your parents told you that you weren't sick enough to stay in bed, it felt like you were being punished. Not sick enough? What's that supposed to mean? You'd then spend the rest of the day at school really bitter and annoyed. Once you're older, it's just an inconvenience, but you'll manage.

When you're too sick to go anywhere

Then:

Now:

Once your parents ordered you to stay in bed all day and rest, you wanted to throw a party. Who cares if I have a fever?! I get to hang out under my comfy blankets and watch television while my friends are taking notes and answering questions! Now, it feels like the world might as well end. If you're in college, you have to worry about the attendance policy or the possibility of there being a test with no make ups given. If you're scheduled to work, you have either have to find someone to cover for you or you just have to make up all your missed work the next day. It's the complete opposite of a good time.

Experiencing the actual illness

Then:

Now:

People seemed a lot more concerned with your well-being when you were a kid. Granted, I'm lucky and still have people that want to take care of me and help out when I don't feel well. I just know that there are plenty of individuals that go away to school or live alone and are lucky if they receive so much as a "feel better!" text message. Growing up sucks.

When you start to feel better

Then:

Now:

Getting better meant going back to school and you just couldn't have that. I'd often try to get another sick day out of it, but if it was obvious that I was feeling a lot better, that certainly wasn't happening. The older you are, the worse you seem to feel. If I can have a speedy recovery time, then life is great! Unfortunately, having just one day of rest never feels like enough, but we have to push through so that we don't end up with more on our plate from missing out.

Getting back to your responsibilities

Then:

Now:

Eventually, you do have to return to your normal routine. When you're just a kid, going back is hard. You got some extra time to yourself, but now it's back to being bored again. When you're older, returning to class or work just feels normal. You're back doing the same old thing, being annoying be the same people and situations, and wondering why you couldn't just enjoy your time at home. Maybe next time!