Omg, grow up

Though phone calls have become somewhat a thing of the past, I still enjoy the 90s mode of communication when it comes to in-depth catch ups with friends I only get to see a couple times a year. So last night I called a good friend whom I've known since high school. One great thing about embracing growing up is watching your friends grow up and succeed. This friend, one I am particularly proud of, is finishing up his first year of law school, a daunting task he took on after working for a state senator for a few years in D.C. My call caught him in the middle of preparing for his oral opening argument the next day, so of course I wanted to hear! "Fine, I'll do the intro for you and then you can decide if you want to hear more," he told me. 


After a few "You can't handle the truth!" jokes, he began, and I listened intently as the same friend with whom I've partied in multiple cities on multiple occasions into the early hours of the morning, suddenly transformed into a character from Law and Order. I hung on every word, impressed with how he had mastered what sounded to me like a foreign language. He finished, and after a moment of silence I exclaimed with enthusiasm, "Omg you're like a real adult!!" Humbly he responded, "Yeah, I'm kind of freaking out about that." 


It's a known fact that most people tend to freak out or break down in law school due to the demanding amount of work coupled with impossible amounts of reading whilst being surrounded by ambitious peers and intensely ruthless professors. Given his experience in the real work world before going back to school, my friend was less shocked by these factors and more alarmed at the harsh reality that, this is going to be his life. He is a grown up now. And as hard as law school may be, it's only the beginning of what will eventually be long trek through adulthood. As the next several years were laid before him, he had a chance to reflect on the very real fact that he was no longer a kid. 


No one, not even ourselves, denies that this generation has been reluctant to grow up. As our 20s stretch into what is soon to be our 30s for a lot of us, we are slowly realizing the reality of what it may be to have to care about people other than ourselves, not drink ourselves into oblivion 4 nights a week, and finally be completely financially independent. It's a scary and harsh reality that most of us don't want to face, but maybe it's time to embrace the beginning of a new era. By clearing out the destructive habits that no longer serve us, we can make room for new experiences and lessons. Maybe we can't download everything we could ever want for free forever. Maybe we have to start following rules. Maybe we can't sleep til 3 pm every weekend and stumble to brunch in our clothes from last night. Maybe it's time to finally grow up, like they keep telling us. I don't know, maybe?