Us Vs Them: Age is More Than a Number by Confucius Jones

Written by Confucius Jones

How many times have you heard an older person say they wish they could be young again? How many times have you heard a young person say they wish they were an adult? Why do young people want to a rush a stage of their life that most adult wish they could take back?

Evolution is a natural process. People, places, the world itself, are constantly changing. It is how nature, at its core, functions. Anything that doesn’t evolve, or change, with its surrounding eventually become obsolete or phased out to some degree. When animals don’t evolve to their surrounds they become extinct. When humans don’t grow mentally or physically they become like stones in a desert. Stones destined to never move or be of any sustainable use to anyone or anything.

Age is a great determining factor on where someone’s head is in life. A young persons perspective might be that a certain age doesn’t determine their intelligence or life experiences. Some young people argue that they are smart for someone for their own age. That statement is wrong in one of two ways. While yes, someone 18 can have experienced things, bad or good, that most people ten years their senior might not have experienced, that doesn’t mean they process it the same way. At 18, I was expecting my first child and the thought of settling down was of no interest to me. At 27, having a child and not settling down almost isn’t an option for me.

I wasn’t a dumb 18-year-old but I knew in my heart my life experiences weren’t up to par with what someone more travelled and aged would’ve seen or done. Also to say you are smart for age implies that you have made adult decisions, or had an adult mindset, for most of your adolescent life. While that may be true, to some extent, it is also sad in the grand scheme of things. Which is more depressing? The 18-year-old who lives like most normal 18 year olds or the 18-year-old who is living like a 36-year-old living paycheck to paycheck with no goals or dreams? Real life experiences, whether it be traveling or situations, trumps any age or wisdom and the young mind isn’t made to process things the same way as an older more experienced mind.

While there is nothing wrong with wanting to be grown some things must be done in the right time. Evolution is a slow and long process that must come naturally. Letting adult situations happen to you as a child before you are ready is both naïve and misguided. Now if adult situations have happened to you as a child then don’t use that as an excuse to rush growing up. Cherish as much of your childhood as you can while it’s in front of you because once it’s gone for good there is no going back.