It'll Never Be The Same

Over the past few months I've gained the most time on my hands since I was maybe about 13, before I went to Academy. See, I didn't have a job then so I had so much free time. Sure I had school, but how hard is school going to get for a 13-year-old? I didn't have many responsibilities and I could just let my mother handle mostly everything. When I got to Academy though, things started to change a bit. School got harder, I had more choices than before, and before I knew it I was thrown into what they call the "teen years". The teen years wasn't that bad though, I think I'll give myself an "A rating" on how I handled everything.

Before I knew it four years flew by. I got a little taller, my voice was a little deeper (or maybe I just made it deep when I was on the phone with a girl, I don't remember), I was wiser, and I was ready to take on the "hard part": College. If I thought school was hard in Academy, then I was a fool; because the workload in College was ridiculous. Every teacher thought it was the cool thing to do to give you papers to write. Papers that really didn't make much sense to me. I didn't understand why I did most of what I did in college, but I did it. You know why I did it? Because Mr. Smith said I had to. If I didn't do it? Mr. Smith said, through his syllabus, that 50% of my grade would automatically be deducted and I would be seeing him next year to try to solve his mind-boggling class. All the random work and all the random rules I had to follow helped me realize something. A lot college is just busy work (with exception to certain majors), and the teachers are really just preparing you for the real world; the real "hard part".

It hit me in college that things won't really be the same when I get older. I won't be able to hang out in my friends room and watch MULTIPLE episodes of "Everybody Loves Raymond" or "The Cosby Show", well not unless his wife doesn't mind. Pulling pranks will no longer be something that is funny anymore, because it could turn into a legal dispute. I can't sit in the back sit and ask my mom why we're getting pulled over anymore. It'll be me getting pulled over looking over to my wife saying: "Don't say 'I told you so'!" When I graduate I have to look for a job, and possibly work with people that I don't get along with. Remember I joked about that boss with bad breath in another post of mine? I bet that I'll get him. In these past few months, it really hit me. I'm pretty much there.

I'm done school. Time to start looking for a job is right around the corner. I'm lucky to be able to impede the process by going away to South Korea as a missionary, but when I get back the job hunting will commence. Now don't get me wrong, I don't want to make it seem like getting older is terrible. There are great things to it; like finding your wife, raising great kids, and hanging out with your in-laws (that's a plus right?). It's exciting getting older and getting ready to take on the world, but the young days are really great. The days you could look back on and reminisce. I'm at a crossroads, a transitioning stage from the younger days to the young days. I'm just going to make sure that I enjoy these days that I have now, when I could sit around and do nothing. The "hard part" is coming up, but I know I'll be ready. After all, I did good in Mr. Smith's class.