The idea of growing up has always seemed fascinating to me. Even when I was a kid, I feel like a lot of the time we wondered what it was like to be grown-ups and now that I have reached this weird time in my life, I feel like nothing has changed, but at the same time, everything has as well.
Now, I'm sure you'll say that was a very peculiar way of framing the idea, but hear me out for a second here. When I say nothing has changed, I feel like the way I experienced things, the love I had for shows, ideas, movies, music, and well everything in between is still the same, its that little bubble of happiness that pops up in my gut whenever I get to experience something I enjoy, its that same feeling of wanting to jump into puddles when it rains, the same feeling of taking in everything around us, from our friends to our moments to, well... life.
But then, why did I say everything has changed? Well, this is where the answer is both simple and complex but remains the same as above, and that is well and truly... life.
It's funny, isn't it? And I'm quite sure you already understand the distinction that comes up when I mention that, cause while I do experience those feelings in the same way I did as a kid, the way I act upon them certainly has changed.
When I say that out loud, it feels like a revelation, but it's something we all are privy to and understand very well. I still remember being a little 6-year-old kid in the playground, waiting for my turn to play football without a care in the world, looking at all the 'adults' who were in the grades above us getting dibs on the play areas and wondering what it would feel like to be them, and then actually being in that position a few years later and playing the same sport in the same spot, just with a few added responsibilities and confusing emotions, but still doing the same thing of looking at the older people and wondering what that would feel like, this time with an added want to be different.
I feel like I have enjoyed all these phases in life, from being a kid to a teen with many many problems to growing up and finding myself, and now, as I see many of my friends taking that next step in their lives, settling down, getting married, I wonder where I will be in a few years time, but at the same time I want to be in the here and now, enjoying my hobbies, my work, my relationships and most importantly... enjoying me.
The thing about growing up is, the more I aged, the more I found who I was, and even if time seems to be going by, life moving forward, people going and doing their own things, I want to enjoy this journey, I want to learn more, I want to go places and I want to enjoy the childish things in life, and that includes enjoying what I do, cause even if growing up adds on the responsibilities, the bills, the obligations... it doesn't mean I need to stop smiling and being who I am.
That is why growing up is weird, cause even though I hate the idea of it all, I love the feeling it gives me, and I wonder what will be next!
I wonder if I was able to communicate myself well through this article, I feel like I had so much to talk about! I would love to know your thoughts as well about this topic, about this idea of growing up, and what your experiences have been like. If you're willing to share then let us know in the comments below or you can also hit us up on our socials!
This is Ayushman Jain signing out!