What the crap happened with gas prices last week? I was driving by a Zooms recently and nearly had a heart attack, highly uncharacteristic of someone in their early twenties, upon seeing this price from the side of the road!
...Especially since only four months ago, this was how pricey things were:
I honestly was starting to think we'd never see a two in the dollar column again for a while there! Oh, but then earlier today I noticed a few stations selling unleaded for $2.69. It's almost as if someone/"THEY" want us to forget about the astronomical gas prices since we're so close to a major election!
Ah, what am I saying? That's crazy talk, right?
Moving on...........
So today was my 21st birthday.
Believe it or not, I did not get drunk today.
I've been getting a lot of comments thrown my way about how 21 is the birthday where you enter full-blown adulthood. While true to a certain extent, what does 21 really do? Think about it; 18 gives you...
- Voting.
- Smoking.
- Soldier.....ing <---It's a word!!--]
Obviously 18 beats 21 by a long shot when you compare them from a benefits standpoint. However, more people still give first place to 21 because as I said, it's more typically associated with maturity. Even though as we all know, maturity knows no particular age limits. Or better yet, how does one define IMmaturity? Some of my readers penalize me for citing Wikipedia references, so fine!
Merriam-Webster Online defines immaturity as:
"lacking complete growth, differentiation, or development."
Complete growth? So partial, or even a majority of your psychological and emotional growth's completion by 21, for example, since it's technically not 100% there by the time the candles are blown out, does that mean you're still by definition immature? Never mind the fact you survived long enough to see your 21st birthday, which unacceptably too many don't get to experience for themselves for one tragic reason or another. For that matter, how do you gauge the completion of your own personal development without the ability to see yourself far in the future so you can know where you should/will be, and see your own progress better.
Or, how about defining complete:
"having all necessary parts, elements, or steps"
Which, since all birthdays are incremental steps through life anyway, that definition helps nothing since you can't know how many steps you're meant to have without looking into your personal future somehow, which even if that were possible would bring up more questions about the nature of destiny and inevitability or the lack thereof depending on what your beliefs on that are (now and then/later). Plus that whole thing about the same matter can't exist in two places at the same time or it could tear the universe a new bellybutton or something apocalyptic like that, I forget the line.
Hey, was that from Back to the Future or Timecop?
....Yeah, probably both.
Anyway, I'm tired of this goose chase through the dictionary. Of course we're supposed to better ourselves as we grow up, but in what sense (which brings us right back to maturity)? Also, why can't we take care of adult matters while trying to enjoy ourselves in spite of it as much as we can? Life sucks. We all know this. But sacrificing your "youthful" mannerisms and wit that got you laughs in late high school, got you some chicks in college, and makes you the life of the party at... well, parties, doesn't make you any more of a mature adult at twenty-something than you were at 18. Or 19.
Congratulations, you're a square.
In fact, I believe the extreme is true: Making yourself more "traditionally" mature by common definition sooner, makes you way less mature than you would be if you started changing your ways later at 21. You've just rewritten the core of your character to conform to what others say they expect of you. They may have your best interests in mind, true. But where do you draw the line between keeping some "immaturity" and compromising your individuality? These days, you have to find a way to laugh at life, or how can you cope with the hard times? How can you cope with yourself? Most importantly, how do you not cross that line without that certain Delorean car which would help give you "Ghost of Christmases Yet To Come" moments to see what'll happen if you continue down whatever path in life you're on at that time.
You gotta stay on the right path--- sorry, steps somehow...
Bottom Line: Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating that we all devolve into a society of Stiflers, just spewing vulgar sex jokes and forcing derogatory nicknames on people all the time because we can. That's a different kind of immaturity. All I'm saying is since when did making certain observances within the appropriate tasteful and environmental or verbal context constitute immaturity? Within reason, of course. Everyone knows you should always be careful what you say when, and about/with whom, etc.
Knowingly & willfully throwing away your sense of social decency & self-censorship, now THAT's immature.
...But that's just me.
Happy drinking! ...Just don't forget to forget your keys.
-D.
