We all have our dreams of what we’re going to do after high school whether it be going to college or finding work or even traveling the world for a while. The reality is that in the way of those dreams are nightmares (nightmares that come with growing up) I’m talking about becoming independent and making your own decisions.

When we’re young we love to imagine how our lives are gonna be after high school and how we’re going to be getting away from our parents, having fun with our friends on the weekends not worrying about writing papers in school. The thing is life after high school is a scary thing to think about mostly having to make your own decisions and relying on yourself instead of your parents or friends. Once you hear these reasons it’ll make you want to get a happy meal to remind you of when you were a carefree kid.

I’m sure we’ve all been there in our lives when we we’re hitting puberty, worrying about braces, getting zits and hair everywhere, and we just wanted to have our freedom and to be independent.

Average whiney teenage girl: “You never let me do anything FUN! Or make my own decisions! OMG! UGH! I wish you would leave me alone! AND LET ME LIVE MY LIFE!!!!1! !!1! 2.” #I’msomature #itsmylife

Average whiney teenage boy: “mom I don’t wanna pull my pants up , sagging and swaggin is what makes me ME it’s my style and I’m gonna grow up to be a rapper like Two-Pac Shake-your-butt and B.I.G E. FAT and lil’ puff-pants-party-pee-prince or whatever his name is this month”

I’m sure many of us remember saying this or something similar when our parents wouldn’t let us go out. But at that age ‘making our own decisions’ and ‘being independent’ was just us in our adolescence wanting to go out with our friends not go to work from 6AM to 6PM, pay for our own cell phone bill and apply to college. Once you turn 18 you’re expected to be self-reliant and individual by society but what they didn’t tell you is you’re expected to be in debt from college loans, rent, insurance, having fun and so on.
Another reason that makes growing up bad is everyone asking you what you wanna do when you grow and then question you’re decision like you’re planning to kidnap the president or something.
Mom: “what do you wanna be when you grow up?”
5 year old child: “I wanna be a FBI agent”
Mom: “how wonderful! Well just remember the sky’s the limit”
Mom: “what do you wanna be when you grow up?”
High school student: “I wanna be a FBI agent”

Mom: “yeah… there’s no way you’ll ever be good enough for the FBI pick something else ”
Isn’t that a weird thing to think about? I mean when we’re little we were told we could be whatever we wanted to be (like president or a football player) and then when we’re 18 we’re told to be something practical with a high income like a doctor or an architect. I’m not saying it’s bad to be contemplating what you’re gonna do after high school, but when everyone showers you with questions like

• What are you gonna be?
• How are you gonna be that?
• Why do you want to be that?
• How much are you going to get paid?
• Where are you gonna go?
• Are you moving out or what?
• Do you even have a job?
• Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
• How are you gonna pay for the national debt?
• How are you going to make our economy better?
• What are you going to do to save the whales?
• How are you going to make the future a better place for the children?
• What are you going to do to improve global relations?
• Why do I have so many questions?
• What’s the meaning of life?

Sure it can be overwhelming and stressing when you’re flooded with questions and have little answers at the moment but there upsides to growing up too. For one you get the freedom you always wished for as a teen and learn to be a responsible adult. Growing up may seem scary but when you’re planned for it and work hard to reach your goal it’s not so hard to be self-reliant and independent. Unfortunately some of us are less prepared than others and we want to go back to times of being a carefree kid hopefully you don’t turn out to be one of those people now if you’ll excuse me it’s lunch time.

“Hey mom can I get a happy meal”
Mom: “why do you want a happy meal when you’re 17?”
“I just want to be reminded of when I was a carefree kid”
Mom: “you just want the toy don’t you?”
“Yes”