by Archie

Created on: January 21, 2009

So many times during the their youth people are asked "What do you want to be when you grow up?". Usually the answer is given one of two ways. The ecstatic response "Police officer!" or "Firefighter!" or "An astronaut!" may sound cliche, but it's common of the young children in this country to wish to fill the shoes of the admirable people they and the rest of society look up to every day. Other children may answer the question in a different fashion. A timid "I don't know." response reflects a child's inept ability to chime in on what he wishes to achieve with his life. He will soon learn that "I don't know" is the most acceptable, realistic, and open-ended answer that child can provide. No child, I believe, is in a position to answer this daunting question, and neither are most college freshmen.

Life teaches lessons to us every single day. Don't put your tongue on that frozen flag pole, Tommy! Oh, curious youngsters are so eager to ignore the rules. You know Tommy had to taste that flag pole even though his Mother told him not to. What did Tommy learn? It hurts like hell when your tongue gets ripped off a piece of steel. He will remember what it was like to lose his taste buds and possibly a portion of his tongue for those few grueling days before it grew back. He will remember his Mother's words, and he will have learned that to ignore the wisdom of a protective Mother is not only going against her best wishes for him, but created a painful experience that he must endure and, hopefully, learn from.

All children make mistakes, and all will ignore their parent's advice one time or another. That's part of growing up. And growing up is an action that does not happen overnight, or over several days, weeks, or months. Many ideas are out there about what it means to be grown up. Most people accept that if a young adult still rests under his parents' roof, he is not grown up. To many, seeking independence is a large step they look to achieve as they grow towards adulthood. Others think it's perfectly fine to stay at home with Ma and Pops, as long as they are working. Yes, having the responsibility of work does introduce a person to the real world very effectively. But it's not enough.

Growing up takes the desire, courage, and motivation to realize the dreams in your head. Knowing what you want is only the first step toward achieving it. The necessary planning and action phases are more pieces to the puzzle of putting your dreams into motion. But growing up is not only

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