What Does Growing Up Mean?

Has anyone ever told you to 'Grow up'? 

How exactly should you react when someone tells you those two words?

All throughout my life, I've been hearing these words from different people at different places. And I'm not proud to say that I still don't get it. It scares me that the society is expecting me to be different from the 'me' that I've always known. I've always wanted a carefree life. No responsibilities. No commitments. Just long sleeps and watching my favorite shows on Saturday and Sunday mornings. However, somewhere between your 20's and 40's, the society would tell you that there's a rough path that you have to take whether you like it or not. You have to agree to certain terms and conditions without any questions asked. Terms such as being in a relationship, getting married, having kids, paying mortgage, buying cars, building a house, getting promoted, leading people to cubicle farms, launching a business despite the current economic situation and other shits that were actually not taught in school in the first place. I'm sorry but I do not remember taking classes on family planning nor dating 101 way back in school. How do you expect me to deal with these?

If agreeing to all those terms is the world's definition of growing up, well, in that case I'd like to quote Chandler Bing...

"Don't expect that to happen anytime soon!"

It's not like I never learned anything about life during my 28 years of existence on this planet. I did learn learn quite a few things from the people that I've met, the places I've been to and the situations that forced me to be better than my old self. Just because I choose not to sign the terms and conditions orchestrated by the society does not mean I never changed. It does not mean that there's not even a tiny hint of growth in me. Maybe I just have different definitions of 'GROWING UP' and I'm here to share them with you. 

Maybe growing up means realizing that sometimes, the only thing you'll ever get out of winning an argument is losing a friend.

Maybe growing up means just simply taking out the trash without drama or self-monologue and without hating everyone who failed to do it.

Maybe growing up means accepting the fact that there really are people who would just walk into your life for quite sometime and then they would go without even saying goodbye. 

Maybe growing up means knowing when to turn off your damn phone and not let it bother you all the live long day...or night.

Maybe growing up means learning how to eat alone at your favorite restaurant.

Maybe it means having the guts to say 'I'm lost' and then confidently asking for directions.

Maybe growing up means letting go of people who no longer add value to your life no matter how much you used to like or love them.

Maybe growing up means understanding and accepting that your body in your 20's does not have the same metabolism as the body that you had in your teenage years and therefore you must take care of it even more.

Maybe growing up means ignoring the trend and sticking with the classics once and for all.

Maybe it means knowing when to shut up and when to break the silence.

Maybe it means not letting numbers torture you.

Maybe it means finally realizing how lucky you are to have the life that you have right now. 

Maybe growing up means forgiving the people who bullied you way back in grade school. 

Maybe it means not relying on your mom or dad in paying bills - all of your bills!

Maybe it means solely relying on your instincts when you're about to make a life changing decision. 

Maybe it means simply walking away from pointless conversations...without another word.

Maybe growing up means realizing that you don't need an army of fake friends just so you can say you have 'people who have your back' in times of trouble. 

Maybe growing up means realizing who your real friends are. 

Maybe growing up means helping someone just because you want to help and not because you are expecting them to return the favor sometime in the future. 

Maybe it means knowing that you are not supposed to stay up late the night before a big day. 

Maybe it means learning the DO's and DONT's about living with strangers. 

Maybe it means learning the difference between being a hypocrite and being civil. 

Maybe it means knowing the difference between responsibility and slavery. 

I know that I still have to learn a lot of things. But for now, this is how I understand what 'growing up' means.