I was entertaining a long awaited romantic dinner with Aditi tonight. After gorging on Pad Thai and en route to a shared donut-chocolate milk combo dessert, the conversation turned to the fact that I continually see myself as if I’m still in the 7^th grade. It’s most definitely true.

It’s odd. Age is a completely relative concept to me. Take my brother, Jeff for instance. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, I am entirely convinced that my 24 year old big bro is still a sophomore in high school. Something about those times, the idea that he was genetically designed to provide advice about topics that always end up appearing trivial when I look back upon them. Before it was a crippling fear about entering Middle School and getting shoved in a locker, then it was learning how to trick people into believing I could dance at Freshman Homecoming, and now it’s transitioning into the college realm--My stresses inevitably end up seeming frivolous yet my brother was there to guide me through them as if they were some life-changing obstacle.

My good friends are undoubtedly all still stuck in the 7^th grade with me. The idea of finding the most inexplicable mouth-watering spine-tingling uncontrollably-jump-for-joying elation in linking 4 Slip & Slides together doesn’t exactly seem like a collegiate norm (well, maybe.) This Tuesday I turned 19 and it was the first year since the third grade that I didn’t spend the night with 7 of my guy friends eating mom’s casserole, playing video games, and engaging in cut-throat no-holds-bar tag games of “Go-Home Stay-Home” in my backyard.

I’m a big kid, and in some senses I intend to remain that way. At times I feel that maturity is some cultural creation produced by teenage girls to belittle prepubescent boys (at least that’s my excuse). Maturity comes with understanding and experience. Maturity comes with the basic yet evasively complex comprehension that there are in fact other people in this world that fight through an entirely unique set of goals, triumphs, and failures. It sure as hell isn’t measured on a scale of what I do in my spare time.

Some people are mother-types, you know the feeling. It’s easy to spot when you’re around them. Some are teachers, some are brothers, some are leaders, and some just have that deeply rooted giggly childish life-loving attitude that finds a way to shine at least the tiniest bit in all situations. I’m not saying I’ll always be stuck in a perpetual adolescent hormonal mood swing, it’s just a part of myself and an integral quality of all the people I surround myself with. And I hope it doesn’t leave anytime soon.

With a sigh, Aditi replied with the thought that she felt like she’ll always be in the 3rd grade. There’s absolutely, undeniably, most definitely nothing wrong with that.

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