My parents warned me, but I didn’t want to listen.

Growing up, sucks.

As a child, born in the 90’s, everyday was great.

I had not a care in the world.

The toughest thing I had to decide, was what cereal I wanted to eat for breakfast.

Do I go light with Cheerios or sugary with Cinnamon Toast Crunch?

Aside from eating healthy, my other responsibility was to do well in school.

Looking back, I wish I had vocabulary tests and science fairs, now.

Compared to 22 page papers, bills, deadlines, and the stress of jobs and earning money.
It was all so simple.

As a kid, I worked hard but I was very sheltered.

I attended a private school, that was attached to a church.

I never had to worry about being pressured in to drugs,alcohol or violence.
I was taught that if I followed the rules, I would have a smooth life.

Boy, did my teacher lie.

Change is the thing that sucks the most.

It’s like you wake up one morning and play with your Barbies, Uno cards and board games.

The next morning, you’re dealing with car notes and college loans.

Its like the game of Monopoly becomes real.

The worst part of growing up is the changes that we experience.

First the change in your appearance.

People gain weight, most guys lose that “cute thing” about them and they end up looking slightly creepy.

The kids who had bad acne, are no longer calling it puberty.

It is called stress, or life.

At times, I sit back and think about how great I had it.

I listened to music that had meaning.

I heard phrases in songs like, “Dreams are real, all you have to do is just believe”.

Now, I turn on the radio, computer, television and phone and hear the same twerking songs.

How many twerking songs do we need?

There is no degree in twerking, at least not yet.

This world will find a way to make dumb things important.

Another thing that sucks about growing up, is I can remember when things weren’t so vain.

You know you’re getting old, when you can say; “Back in my day.”

I am not ashamed to say it, because I am well aware that my day was the best day.

The 90’s was all about great music, incredible fashion trends and true beauty.

Men didn’t have to drive fancy cars or be emotionless to get good women.

Women didn’t have to put on loads of makeup or get thousands of dollars worth of plastic surgery, to feel beautiful.

Everything was as simple as talking and communicating with one human to the next.

These days, every one in the world, spends 24 hours, and 365 days focused on themselves.

Ordinarily that would be a good thing, but I remember when I would see people struggling, help them.

It has truly become a dog eat, dog world.

People use others to try and get ahead and when I was younger that was the main thing my teachers taught us not to do.

I was told, there is enough of everything to go around.

There is no need to rush or be conniving.

I remember during lunch, I would run to the front of the line, just to get the same foods that people in the back got.

That is the biggest lesson of all, rushing leads to nowhere.

Looking back on certain things I laugh because I am grateful for the times I’ve had.

Eating my grandma’s banana pudding, going to the park and enjoying the circus.

Things have changed and I still struggle with the reality of it all.

My grandmother has passed on, I can no longer fit on the swing sets at the parks and the circus is super expensive.

All the things you could get a way with as a kid, no longer are acceptable.

Over time, you notice that your feet can’t fit inside of your favorite blanket.

For some people that’s the first sign or change, that they experience.

Clothes not fitting and feet hurting from shoes that are too small.

The biggest heartbreak is being too old to get gifts on Christmas.

I remember it all started at age 16, I started getting money as gifts.

It was like parents didn’t care to go hunt in the middle of the night for toys and games anymore.

Every relatives excuse was, “We don’t know what to get you”.

I always said, “Well you could of at least wrapped the money up with a bow.”

By the time I turned 18, I started buying my own gifts.

Everyday is my Christmas, I buy whatever I want, whenever.

And I have the bills and receipts to prove it.

Growing up sucks, so to all the kids out there, stop wishing to get older.

Every birthday, I would blow out my candles and wish to get older.

If only I could find those candles and relight them, I’d ask for a billion dollars instead!

I guess, I’ll have to deal with growth. After all every diamond is made from pressure.

I don’t mind, having my parents expectations rise, it gives me motivation to be greater each day.

All I want to ever do is make them happy,and work hard to make them rich.

However, I do have friends who don’t feel the same way.

Some people I know can’t handle the responsibilities of being a grown up.

I have friends who are cracking under pressure.

Can’t hold a job, struggling in school and are unhappy.

I understand where they’re coming from, and even though growing up sucks; we have to deal with it.

Growing up has given me experiences that I would not trade for the world, so in a way I am happy that I am older.

Also, martinis and daiquiris are a great treat for being grown up.

Maybe, this was all a dream to see how I could handle it in the future.

Maybe I am not really grown up, after all.

Maybe I am the real life, Peter Pan.

If not, I’ve enjoyed being a kid.

Guess its time to enjoy being a grown up.

Maybe, just maybe.

After all, growth is apart of life and life is worth living.