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 Questions such as, "will I have enough money for lunch today and the ice cream man after school," have been replaced by, "can I afford to buy this new home, or should we relocate?"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.