The process of maturing

It’s funny how maturity shapes us without any ability to pinpoint the exact time it occurs. It’s a natural progression without timelines.

For me, this realization came during a recent game night with friends. There we were, a group of adults playing Catch Phrase and Guesstures while drinking Appletinis and beer, and it hit me that I was in a different phase of life. I had conquered another step in the direction of maturity.

I never thought I would outgrow Legos, Hot Wheels or Barbies, then it was MTV I couldn’t live without, and next came the college parties and library study groups followed by the bar scene and late night recovery food at diners. That was the time when it was unclear what direction I was heading in or who I was and where I wanted to be.

Here I am now, exchanging recipes with friends and trying to remember their kids birthdays, enjoying the game nights and knowing there’s no other place I’d rather be on those evenings. I don’t jump to the comics first when I read the paper anymore (but I still read them) and I wonder why the teenager in the car that just passed feels the need to race everyone to the next stoplight.

That’s when I realize I’m not old, I’ve just been there. I used to be the speed racer, I’ve had friends take my car keys away from me until I sobered up, and I’ve made plenty of bad choices along the way. But I’m maturing, it’s subtle but it happens when you least expect it.

And when I want to tell someone younger than me why they shouldn’t do this or that, I try to bite my tongue. You mature through the experiences that shape you and we should all have a chance to figure things out on our own with enough help to make smart decisions along the way.