.. about growing up

In ancient cultures, there often were special ceremonies or rites of passage; when you reached a certain age, you performed some ritual or trial and then, forever afterwards, you were an adult. 

It's a nice idea, but I doubt it was completely true then and it certainly isn't true today -- that you go along being a child and then, bang, you are suddenly an adult. 

It doesn't happen like that. 

And, if you go along expecting to suddenly know all you need to know, to have certainty about life, be responsible and sure... well, you're going to have a long wait. 

Here's the secret that all adults know, but usually won't tell you. At times, at any age, you will feel uncertain, lost, bewildered and alone. At times, you feel like you are faking it; that everyone else is an adult, but you somehow missed the orientation lecture and you're just a big child, pretending to be an adult. 

If you are lucky, you will learn the truth: That people are just people. There is no special demarcation when "child" becomes "adult". 

Sometimes you know what to do, and why, and when, and you can act with sureness and certainty, and sometimes you're lost and clueless. 

You can have that certainty about something at six years old, and be confused and worried at sixty. 

But generally, the more experience you get, the easier it becomes. So, when do you "grow up?" 

Every day. 

Every day you learn something new. Every day you learn more about yourself and more about the world. Hopefully, you never finish growing up. 

From my observation, there are some people who have never made it to being an adult. 

My "Dad advice" is to always work towards learning more and work towards taking more responsibility for yourself and the world around you. 

If you do that, you will be an adult.