Thursday, June 3, 2010

Life As I See It (Getting Older)

As we approach the juncture in our lives known as the late twenties (I recently turned twenty-seven, so it depends on who you ask) the reality that we are all growing up is starting to really sink in. Gone are the days of recess, lunch breaks and more recess with evenings and summers off. Taking its place: work, bachelors degrees, graduate degrees, marriage, children and home ownership, to name a few. Questions such as, "will I have enough money for lunch today and the ice cream man after school," have been replaced by, "can I afford to buy this new home, or should we relocate?" All signs point to something that seemed so far away, growing up.
Never before has getting older been more apparent in my life than in 2010. This year, I am fortunate enough to know at least six different couples getting married, (most of them are my age) numerous couples having their first or even second child, several couples in serious relationships and a few friends getting into home ownership in the near future. Slowly, all of this change and new responsibility is beginning to creep into my own life. Although I have stayed away from the dating scene over the past few years, I find myself looking to dive in and catch up to the rest of the crowd. Yet there are so many factors to consider at this age. When we were kids, there weren't many thoughts that we went through when picking a date. Now when I look at a woman, I immediately check her ring finger, something that I never would have thought twice about just ten years ago. And it extends even further than just being married, I have to consider: "do we have similar political/religious beliefs, do we enjoy similar activities, will she be a good mother to my future children, what is her family like," and so many others.
At times, these thoughts catch me completely off guard. Has life really gotten to this point? Am I really growing up? But there's no sense in fighting the process of getting older. In fact it's not as bad as I used to imagine it to be. I could even get used to this whole "growing up" thing.

5 comments:

  1. Bcal....aww i luv ya, great blog! Growing up is not so bad. You've done so much in your life, and have so much more to do. Perhaps now it is time to find someone to share those things to do with :) I wish you the best of luck it dating world.

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  3. Your blog reminds me of Ted from how I met your mother. Did you notice that he's telling his kids the story of how he banged 50-60 chicks before he met their mom...seems a little creepy now that you think about it.

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  4. Well written, Brian. Hardly any grammatical corrections needed. Kidding kidding. You make a good point, though. I remember going through the same kind of feelings described in this post. Growing up feels good though. No, it feels awesome. :)

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  5. I agree with Leilani - I feel like getting older is exciting. There is something about maturity that is sexy and fulfilling that you just don't get in your late teens / early twenties. I will say one thing, though - I know we are getting older but pressure to grow up should not come from your peers. It's possible that they felt pressure, too, and rushed something that takes time. You're a good guy with mediocre looks hah any effort on your behalf will def bring results.

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