Growing up

It happens in a blink, it happens a flash, it happens in the time it took to look back.

Whats the deal with this fascination with growing up? It starts when we are young. People ask us who or what we want to do when we grow up. If we are immature or rude to someone we are told to grow up. And in time, eventually we can earn the label of a grown up. All these phrases or terms are used in a way that makes growing up such a positive thing. Personally Im starting to think Peter Pan had it right when he wanted to escape to never never land and not grow up.

Its not that I think growing up is such a negative thing. I am looking forward to things about growing up like getting married, having kids, a carrer, retirement (if that still exists when Im that old). What I don’t like about growing up is that if you ever take a look around in todays society, there isn’t a whole lot to be desired about what most would consider a normal life and growing up. Settling for an average job, working 50-60 hours a week, stressed all the time, and little enjoyment with life seems to be the norm these days. What happened to chasing your dream job? What happened to the 40 hour work week? Whatever happened to the simple life? Why are people constantly stressed if they have a family they love and a job they love? Have people given up completely on doing what they love and living the life we are called to live?

Maybe Im a naïve 23 year old recent college grad but If Im going to grow up I want to do it without being a ball of stress in a dead end job. I think the USA should take some lessons from Europe and learn to enjoy our life a little more. What would happen if everyone truly chased their dreams, worked jobs they enjoyed, helped people who had less, sought after true happiness and and were able to live without constant negative stress? Wouldn’t that make growing up sound more inviting? That’s the growing up Im looking for.