Just Grow Up

Isn’t it odd how some things that bother us growing up don’t go away when we’re supposed to be grown up?

Even as adults we still have to deal with bullies, tattletales, gossips, and whiners.  As adults we still feel insecure at times, like we’re not good enough or we don’t belong or we might fail. 

Perhaps maturity is being secure enough to be assertive with the people who would dampen our outlook on life, and not worrying about what other people think or what the future holds.

I spend a lot of time with chronologically mature people.  Among them there are still people who are bullies, tattletales, gossips, and whiners.  There are also people who take the time to help someone down the hall, even when they’re struggling themselves.  There are people who wear knit hats and slippers because they’re comfortable, not because they make a fashion statement.  There are people who take the time to say “thank you” and “bless you” to the hard-working people who provide care.

I guess the point is that after a certain age, growing up is a choice.  Maturity is not something that happens, but something that must be sought after and grown into, for lack of a better analogy.   

Some people don’t want to “grow up.”  I think it has something to do with an old Toys R Us commercial.  Mature people still know how to play, and enjoy having fun.  They just have the wisdom to know when it’s time to play and when it’s time to be serious.  It doesn’t mean they lose the heart or wonder of a child.

I have plenty of room to grow on the maturity scale, but hopefully I’ve progressed somewhat since my school days.  Perhaps the best anyone can hope for is to progress and move forward in life, rather than dwell in the mistakes (or the glory) of the past.