BY Megan Gonzalez | THE RIDER
We joke about it, but there may be a hidden fear beneath it.
In the essay, “Becoming Adult: Meanings and Markers for Young Americans,” author Richard A. Settersten Jr. writes, “The bottom line is that most young people today do not completely feel like adults—in some ways and with some people they do, and in other ways and with other people they do not.”
As children, we may be told there are high expectations in adulthood. From jobs, marriage, college, bills, this is the list of things grownups are supposed to know.
Now we are older and our view of growing up may have changed.
Have you ever stopped to think about this? Have you ever looked around and thought about these high expectations?
As a generation, today, we are no longer sure if we will get our dream job. The world is not the same as it was 10 years ago. Things are not easy.
From elementary school to college, educators try to prepare students for the real world, but how accurate can they get?
Settersten writes, “It is clear that building an adult identity is a process, not a discrete event. No single experience renders one an adult. Instead, it is a larger cluster of events and the gradual accumulation of experiences that eventually render one an adult in the eyes of self and others.”
People say growing up is optional. But, let’s be honest, life can happen. Whether it’s death in the family or moving to a new home, change can be difficult.
It can be scary receiving new responsibilities. There may be confusion and anxiety in the beginning, but, in time, these tasks will become part of your daily routine.
If you expect yourself to magically change at a certain age, you will be disappointed.
We may never be ready to become an adult soon, but the best thing to do is live our days in life.
Just breathe and take it easy. Allow yourself to experience new opportunities at your own pace.
