"What makes a person an adult?" ...by ValerieW-16
The other day, being the rather disorganized person I am, I accidentally left my towel messily slain over the toilet seat after taking a shower. When my mother found it a few minutes later (yes, she is that good), she immediately reprimanded me, unjustly, I thought, seeing as it wasn’t such a huge deal. “How could you be so irresponsible?” she lectured. “You are fifteen years old, almost an adult now. You should know better than this.”
Upon hearing this, my first thought was, “As if I don’t know that already.” Because honestly, between teachers at school constantly reminding us that college is only two short years away, being legally allowed to drive in parts of the United States, and having to pay adult fares on the MTR, the fact that I am growing up has been kind of coming at me from all directions for awhile. But what does all of that actually mean? Physically speaking, growing up means growing taller and bigger, and being an adult simply means having reached a maximum height (and hopefully weight, too). From an intellectual point of view, growing up is tantamount to gaining more knowledge, and being an adult insinuates that one has gained a certain amount of information. But what about being an adult emotionally? How do we know when a person is psychologically ready to take on the daily challenges and turbulences that are life?
My answer would be that a person is emotionally an adult when he or she learns to think for him or herself. And by thinking independently, I mean having the guts to disagree on important issues, even if adults and one’s own parents are involved. Yes, it is taboo in some cultures to challenge the wisdom of elders. Yes, it may seem ungrateful to treat the people one has been raised by for years in such a manner. And yes, it can be difficult to speak up about issues, even if they are matters that one is truly passionate about. However, to quote Alexander Hamilton, “Those who stand for nothing fall for anything.” There are so many spineless people who just clam up or lie when others ask their opinions, especially concerning teenagers with fragile egos and even more fragile hearts at school. I mean, I understand that it is undoubtedly easier to avoid conflict by remaining silent, but diversity and innovation in thought have always been the keys to success and progress in this world. Not to mention the fact that it’s an equally if not more uncomfortable feeling to keep things inside (and believe me, I speak from experience). After all, what is life if one cannot or will not express him or herself? In that case, are we just reduced to living on bread alone?
I’m not saying that people should pick fights with whomever just to get their points across because that would cause even more conflict, which is, quite frankly, the opposite of what the world needs right now. What I am saying is that people, especially teenagers, need to grow up in this emotional sense and learn to pick their battles wisely. Only then will we be able to live in peace with others and ourselves.
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