Growing Up

There is a certain terror in growing up. I suppose that it lies in the change that comes wrapped in the same parcel. There are a lot things that I don't know about being an adult. Or, rather, things that I know about in theory, but have never experienced. The thought of doing something new and different has always scared me. Once I do that thing, I lose my fear of it. But making myself do it that first time is always challenging. Asking for job applications scared me...until I had done it a half dozen times. Same with turning in those applications. Now that I've done it 15 times, the knot in my stomach doesn't have such a formidable presence.

Then there are all the people around me who are growing up. Because I was homeschooled, my friends aren't all exactly my age. In fact, most of them are several years older than I am. Or younger. I have a friend who's in the Marine Corps and several friends who find "Duck, Duck, Goose" the height of entertainment (and I'm not referring to you college students). I girl I grew up with has three children and one on the way. People are graduating college, getting married, having children . . . and all of those things are so hopelessly grown up. Granted, I'm not to that stage yet. My high school graduation is on Saturday, freshman move-in day is August 20th . . . so I'm not that old. But the fact that a good percentage of my closest friends are is terrifying.

When did we grow up?