Growing Up.

Isn’t it funny how we spend our whole lives wishing we were older. Old enough to live away from home. Not have our parents dictate everything we want to do. To have freedom. To be on our own…. Then once we get there we wish we could reverse time? Or stop it all together. 

Today I turned 20. I have been awaiting this day for quite some time. Now that it is here I have suddenly shifted from the “I want to be a grown up!” mode to the “I don’t want to get any older.” This all happened this morning as I was getting ready for work. I took a long look in the mirror and thought “In ten years I will be thirty.” That scared me to death. I am not ready to be anywhere close to thirty. But then I think about ten years ago when I was only ten. It took quite a long time for me to age ten years. Possibly the slowest years of my life. 

Time… I just have a simple request. Move a little slower. Please.

I’ve been thinking about the past 20 years of my life. Who I thought I would be and where I am now. According to my 8 year old self, I was going to be either an astronaut or a veterinarian by now. Apparently I had no idea what kind of schooling both of those would require. 

Here are some memories of mine…

Every morning when I was 4 or 5 I would run into the living room and stand on my tiptoes before my parents and say “Am I taller?” 

I loved to rollerblade around my house while talking on the phone. 

When riding int the hot air balloon with my Dad I would look out the little foot holes because I wasn’t tall enough to see over the edge of the basket or I was too afraid to stand. 

Growing up in a neighborhood of boys, I would often run around with out a shirt on. 

I came home from school every day to watch power rangers. Then would go to the park and reenact the episode with my friends. My favorite power ranger was the green one.

I had a habit of climbing onto peoples roofs. Especially my next door neighbor Mr. Peas house.

I would play Dungeons and Dragons in the back yard every weekend with the neighborhood kids.

In the summer we filled up huge barrels of water and sat in them. One day they put the lid on top and I almost drowned.

I had a purple Mongoose bike with pegs on the front and the back. Needless to say that I was pretty much awesome.

I secretly like Barbies.

The only time I was truly grounded was when I rode my bike to Long John Silvers with a kid named Anthony.

I saved my red headed friend Kent from bullies on a daily basis. One day they tied him to the ground with fishing wire and kicked him. I kicked the bully in his manly parts.

I climbed on the roof of King High School with the help of a janitor to retrieve my dads model rocket. 

Courtney and I went camping at Lake Mathis and explored the animal trails. We then realized we were covered in ticks. GROSS!

I spent a lot of time having picnics on the beach with Kait, Courtney, and Andy. Drinking chocolate milk and jamming.

The first song I learned on the guitar was a Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day. 

I loved sliding in soapy kitchen floors with Kristy and Courtney.

I never went to prom. Nor do I regret it.

I now have a Canadian roommate that can do a jig.

I have the best parents.

Time flies when your having fun. Never forget your past. It builds your future.

Carli