Growing Up

This topic has been on my mind a lot lately. Not in a scary way, like "Oh, my God, I'm growing up. When did this happen?" but more in a way like "Oh, my God, I'm growing up. When did this happen?"
It's the emphasis that changes the sentence.
I'm on my yearbook committee, and we are getting baby pictures of everyone.
Speaking of that, I still need mine.
It's due tomorrow.
What was I talking about?
Oh, right, baby pictures.
That was fourteen years ago for me.
I just don't know when time suddenly decided to go berserk and fly by, but it has.
When I was in sixth grade, all of the eighth graders were tall and scary, and I thought that I would never make it to eighth grade. But here I am.
I'm choosing courses for freshman year, I'm actually making decisions that will directly affect my future. And all of the choices are up to me.
I really, honestly don't like the responsibility that now is residing on my fourteen year old shoulders.
I just wish I could go back to being a little kid where your parents make all of your decisions and you don't have to worry about anything.
I just wish I could go back in time and really live my childhood instead of spending it cooped up in my room, talking to myself in a different language and reading.
I wish I had learned how to ride a bike earlier.
I wish I had tried to get involved in team sports.
I wish I wish I wish I wish I wish I wish I wish.
But wishing doesn't do anything, and living in the past just makes you regret your life, and I'm fourteen.
I shouldn't be regretting anything yet.
So there is this 3Oh!3 song, and I admit that I really like them.
The song is "Colorado Sunrise", and there is this one verse that goes:
"I've got five fingers on each hand for every mistake that I've made/ 'cause my tongue is tied to tonsils and I need to sh*t and shave/I'm a shade too pale for handsome and have habits I can't shake/ but if you try to take that from me well I'll never be the same/ train wreck that I am/ And I am what I am what I am what I am."
I really like that verse.
It kind of describes life.
You make a lot of mistakes.
You have to do mundane things.
You are never really accepting of yourself.
You have bad habits that you can't kick.
But without all of these little things, you aren't you.
And no one should take that away from you.
So just live your life.
Be who you are.
You are what you are.
So although life flashes by, growing up is not a bad thing.
Just different.
You learn how to be a good person.
You learn how to read, write, and do math.
You learn that eating five Snickers bars and then drinking a Mountain Dew can make you puke.
You learn that playing a flute while laughing is not possible.
You learn that you don't always like your teachers.
You learn that anyone can be your teacher.
You learn that you don't like asparagus.
You do all these things, and more. Your tastes change, your friends change, life changes.
You grow up.
But never forget who you are, or growing up isn't worth it.
Stay true to yourself.
Be you.
Completely and utterly you.
And then growing up doesn't seem that daunting anymore.
It just seems like life's next great adventure.
"Off we go into the wild blue yonder."
-U.S. Air Force Anthem.
And so we go.
~Elle