Think with Me? - by Esther Lawrence

A series of random thoughts flooded my mind yesterday, and I just decided to pour them here. I don't really know how this one is going to go yet, so maybe.... Think with me?------------ Hmmm... Growing up hits different ... And no, it's not just about the lies they've told you about a certain freedom.I think it's more like the way several responsibilities hit you all at once and suddenly, the things which felt light become .... heavy. Human interactions, Public image, 9-5? Lol. Yeah, let's have a quick talk about this. Once upon a time, we looked forward to another day of school. Being woken up at 5 a.m. The thrill of being rushed and prepped knowing that it was another day to hang out with your friends, without having to submit an entire presentation for approval from parents who were bound to say "NO" with no explanation. It was just done and dusted, a reason was never necessary. Oh, true! How could I forget?! That when it got too serious to avoid without reason, the prophetic dreams and visions always magically appeared. Poof! Just like that.(sobs in trauma quietly) But now, A few hours of classes in a university lecture hall feels like a death sentence we gave ourselves. 7 a.m. classes? Jesus... Don't even get me started! Grab a seat, let me tell you about a time when it was never an inconvenience to hang out with friends. Back then, we cried to attend every party, made up folktale excuses, even rehearsed lines to make sure there were no slips to expose our lies after sneaking out of the house. Mehnn, it really was do or die. And now ... Lollll. Where's all that energy now?Now, we channel all that energy into doing the direct opposite. We get a full day of house arrest, binge watch a series, and apparently that qualifies as being too busy to go on a date. A two-week leave of absence from work feels like a honeymoon experience with your bed, and nothing else actually seems to matter. Can you see the plot I'm getting at here? Hanging out still requires an entire consideration of the hierarchy of needs, except this time, you're not the one begging to leave the comfort of your OWN space. They're the ones who now have to earn your precious time. Once upon a time?We didn't care about prim and proper. We actually lived our lives with not enough self awareness to prevent us from having our most embarrassing moments in public view. We just went about, doing everything and anything.God knows that if we were the least bit well informed about what aura farming should look and sound like, most of those talent show performances would've never seen the light of day. And now? Hehe. You know the answer, I promise you... So, answer this one yourself. ------------------- But, you know, I still think the scariest part of growing up isn't having to guess what the unknown future holds. I believe it's actually watching yourself make decisions in real-time that significantly affect this future, even while unconsciously losing track of time. Maybe, it's the fact that we actually start to understand why parents acted the way they did, and are now old enough to be trusted by your parents to sort life out ourselves without necessarily needing their interference. It's about finally getting the hot takes on family secrets, and appreciating with understanding, the many sacrifices mummy and daddy made to get us to exactly where we are today. It just might be the acceptance that age is not the definite proof of growth. Omo... Growing up hits different o.Funny how it makes us different, too.

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