I think initially my ideology of growing up when I was younger was sliding my tiny feet into my mother's high heels and stealing her lipstick when she wasn't looking. I would pretend that I was a doctor and make sure that my dog would schedule appointments to have a check up done by yours truly. Carrying around a fake cell phone, I would walk around the house pretending to have an in depth conversation with a best friend that didn't exist.
But despite thinking that I knew everything about being an adult and how the world works at age 10, I was no where near as informed as I would've liked to be.
The sad part about growing up, to my surprise, was finding out that not everything is as perfect and seamless as it seems. I grew up finding out that my dad; who I thought was this heroic figure who could save the world and end poverty all in one day and still be home in time for dinner, was hiding his addiction to cigarettes. Every hero has his weakness.
I also grew up finding out that my mom; who I thought could be at 3 different places at once and could handle any problem or issue the world handed her with a smile, was stressed out beyond belief and hated the job she was in. I guess hating your job isn't anything odd in the society we live in today, but she disliked her job so much that it she couldn't be satisfied with anything because she was so unhappy with her life.
So I guess I can't really pinpoint an exact moment between the transition of myself driving my Barbie car around the house to driving an actual car to pick up my friends, but I think along my journey to that point, I've looked at the world around me as it slowly diminished from the picture perfect image I had believed it was a majority of my youth.
Growing up is probably one of the hardest things to do, and every day I grow up just a little more than the day before. And it's not that the sudden realization that someone's imperfection makes them a bad person, because it doesn't at all. It just a friendly reminder that no one is perfect and that we're all human. Even someone you idolize as a perfect being is not all they're cracked up to be.
But knowing now that not everyone is perfect is a comforting feeling. Knowing that you can make mistakes and not have to compare yourself to a superhero is a huge weight off your shoulders. So I guess that superheroes don't really exist in reality, and sometimes you find that as they're trying to fly they end up stepping on their own cape.
Literally Kode I love this blog post. Not only do you express hard times in your life, but you do in such a readable and concise manner. I love the spacing of your post and it is truly figurative!
ReplyDeleteRecognizing flaws in the world and accepting them is a major part of growing up. Good Entry.
ReplyDeleteHey Dakota, I agree with you a lot in this post. Growing up comes in stages and everyday we learn something new. What you said about idolizing people and about your parents makes me think back to my dad who I thought was the best superhero out there when in reality he's stressing about hia job and so on. It just goes to say how the saying "ignorance is bliss" is paradoxically true but at the same time it may be for the best to know things. Nice post.
ReplyDeleteParents seem to hide things from their kids so that they do have this false image of their lives which may be good to keep their child sheltered for a little while but should be explained sooner than later. Great entry, the beginning reminds me of my sister when she was younger.
ReplyDeleteNice post! I like how you point out the fact that growing up doesn't just happen in one huge moment. There's no magical ritual where suddenly BAM you're an adult. Hell, I think my dad who's 46 is still growing up! Everyone hides things that they think make them less perfect, and discovering that is just another part of growing up.
ReplyDeleteThis is really sad but so true. There's no slow transition, it just jumps from being a child to being an adult without a second to stop and look around.
ReplyDeleteI remember being a little kid and dressing up in heels and costumes. I remember driving my friends Barbie car around her lawn just waiting to drive. Now that I can it doesn't feel as wonderful as I thought it would. I think sometimes growing up you realize the things you were looking forward too aren't as wonderful as they thought you would be. The last line about stepping on your own cape really summed up this whole entry for me, it was perfect.
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