The Roaring Twenties ( aka No You Need Not Lose Your Childhood, Pantywaist.)

Having turned twenty a week ago, I have taken said week to think about if I really feel different about being an un-teen. It always sounds super cliché when people are like "Do you feel any different?" after every birthday you have, because, honestly, it's just a number.

Here is what I ultimately decided, in general:

Exact number age does not matter. The only one who needs to know your exact age is the government, so they know how to fit you into crap.

Basically, even though, yes, a 16 yr. is probably less mature than a 19 yr. old, THAT IS NOT ALWAYS THE CASE, PEOPLE.

Believe me.

I'm in college.

I see things.

Maturity is not an exact science.

Anyways, so I really don't feel that different number-wise. Okay, yes, I'm no longer officially a "teen", but I haven't really felt like one for a while. All that happened last Monday was that "-teen" was dropped off the end of my government-necessary age. Whatevs.

Of course, on certain birthdays, you are now eligible for certain things your government lets you do, like drive, vote, smoke, gamble, skydive, drink, and legally talk on your cell phone while driving, etc. This is all very nice, but it really depends on a person's maturity, not exact number of years they have been in the world, whether they can handle said responsibilities. But I suppose just delegating an age is easier.

This is probably all very obvious and all that, but it just happened to really strike me this past week, because, no, I do not feel different maturity-wise. I do not think I just exited the "best years of my life", because that'd be totally bogus. Since when is hitting puberty the best?! Whatever.

I firmly believe that the prime of life can be whenever you make it to be, and for however long you want it to be. Sure, naturally, our bodies sorta decline over time, but something kinda can be done about that, too. Sorta.

I think I've also been thinking on this recently, too, because I have heard multiple people with recent birthdays be like "oh, I'm losing my childhood!"

Blah blah blah.

Sure, you won't ever be at that age again where bank accounts mean nothing and your parents buckled you into your car seat, but as far as a lot of the mentality of childhood, you never have to really lose that. Yes, you are now more aware of the world and it's pros and cons, and blissful childlike ignorance it not really there much anymore, but seriously, would you want to be completely out of touch with the world at this point? Sure, there are things I have seen and know exist that I would prefer not to know, but I'm not going to dwell on them. Let 'em lie.

But here's the thing: the whimsicalness and creativity and perspective and curiosity of childhood never have to die. They just might take a slightly different form.

For example, as a kid, you at some point realized that your mashed potatoes came from ugly tuber things that hide underground, and that it is really fun to grow them and guess how big they'll be when you pull them up. That's a pretty standard joy of childhood we probably all went through.

But as a kid, did you learn that you can take a potato plant and a tomato plant, and make them into one freaky cool plant by grafting them together? Probably not, and that is a fact I just learned a couple weeks ago in my plant propagation lab, and is a project we will be attempting soon. I mean, how cool is that, that those two plants are genetically close enough that one could kill two birds with one stone and get both foods by planting only one plant? Talk about something that should be sold at IKEA. Space saving, indeed.

Needless to say, the joy of discovery is something that can be cultivated over your entire life, and was a great part of every person's childhood, as well. If you are content to say you know enough and would like to live out the rest of your days only relying on the information you picked up until you were about thirty, go ahead. But don't come moping to anyone when you say you've lost that childlike spark, because, in essence, you have. And it's sorta your own fault for not keeping that flame of curiosity burning.

Keep discovering. Read the news. Go outside. Go to museums. Try new recipes. Take a new route home. Get a pet species you have never owned before. Walk with your eyes pointed down on the sidewalk with the goal of finding some random treasure some poor soul happened to drop (I have had very good things come of this, such as $20 bills, a $50 gift card to the University Bookstore, free collage material and lost buttons).

Discovery is just one aspect of the realm of childhood that can be forever cultivated. Creativity is another deal, too. Along with the many other attributes I listed above somewhere.

So, if you're worried that, as an adult, those happy days are going to slip through your fingers and all you'll be left with is a festering pile of nostalgia, whatever. Nothing need end unless it is put out of production, or accidentally set on fire and burned to a crisp.

If you need proof that adults are just overgrown children, have a gander at these:

And the list goes on and on.

Thing is, there are a lot of pluses to adulthood that you always thought were awesome as a kid. Sure, there are random boring details that were overlooked, but hey, why do kids play house? Or can't wait to drive a car? Or want to "just do it themselves"? Because they want to be cool like you, that's why.

So find that happy medium. You don't have to grow up. Don't let a double-digit number send you down the tube.

That is one of my greatest goals in life: never become senile.

Hold me to that, people. Don't let it happen.

I'm going to go get my macaroni and cheese.

K bye.

Songs of the Week:

The CD Age of Adz by Sufjan Stevens.

a CD, might I add....that is not for children. This is where one should actually embrace adulthood.