This is it. (turning 18)

[Chiburi]

This is it.

It's my last sunset as an underaged kid. I'll always be a kid, though. But I don't get all the fuss around me, and other people turning 18. After all, we've been judicially responsible for our own actions since we turned 15 years ages ago, and the year after that (or two years) we had to start paying adult prices just about everywhere. Maybe it's the government trying to make the transition as smooth as possible, but personally I think it's just another way to rip off a few more millions. But that aside. My point is that whatever 17-year-olds or parents say, becoming an adult isn't really anything special. Well, alright, I have to confess that I enjoy driving and now I can finally do it legally. All it means that life gets a lot more boring. Now people actually turn to you and say "Grow up!" when you're trying out the swings in the neighborhood's parks. If I was into booze or smoking my lungs out I might feel a whole lot different. Not that anybody's asked me for an ID since I turned 16, but since I don't buy alcohol or cigarettes to anyone, nothing's gonna change. But it's one more reason not to go into bars -- what's the fun when you can actually do it legally? Enough batting my gums. Feel free to congratulate me so we can move on. Tomorrow's yet an other day. Though I'm thinking of spending my day jumping of airplanes. Give my adulthood -- and my new hobby -- the boost it needs. Thanks for listening :P

Cheers,

[Uesugi Kenshin]

Hey man, I just had my 18th b-day on the 17th, i agree with you. Everyone made a huge fuss over the birthday..not that i didn't appreciate it though..it just gets tiring.
Cheers

[A. M. Jauregui]

Happy birthday...

Remember that no matter how old one is they can always be young at heart.

[pgsmith]

Please try and enjoy the sensation as it only happens once.
Nobody tells you to "grow up" when you're in your 40s and trying out the swings. They just kind of look at you funny and go on!

Many happy returns,

[Daishi]

Don't start thinking you're too old already. Otherwise, in a couple years (really) you'll start looking back saying "I wish I did this or that" Trust me. Been there done that.


Dale heisler

[Cady Goldfield]

"Growing old is mandatory. Growing up is not."

[Shitoryu Dude]

Reminds me of my nephew a few years back when he was about 19 or so and he thought all of us were so old and decrepit, being over 30 and all. Had to explain to him that as far as we were all concerned he barely out of diapers, immature, foolish, and extremely naïve. We would start to consider him an adult when he supported himself and lived on his own for several years (he has yet to do that, the worthless slug).

Something to think about - "middle age" used to be 35 or so and your "mid-life crisis" was considered to be around 40. "Retirement age" was considered to start at 55 and "elderly" started at 70. At the moment middle age is considered to start at around 55, mid-life crisis is an outdated concept, retirement is normally after 70 for most of us (and considering that retirement = death for many, why stop being active?) and elderly starts in your mid 80's, but only if you act it.

Anyone under 50 can still be considered young if they just take care of themselves. Aside from your mindset, the miles you put on yourself will affect you the most. In many ways it is very smart to start acting as if you will be much older before you know it, because that is the way it will happen. In a couple blinks of an eye you will be 30 - the time to start thinking about your health at that point is today.

A century ago the average lifespan was not even 50 years in most parts of the world - today we can all pretty much expect to see 80 or more. I have pictures of my relatives from nearly 200 years ago - they looked like they were in their 50's and 60's when their stated age on the pics are mid-30's. Just a couple centuries ago living to 40 was a big accomplishment - most people were dead by 35. Start asking around sometime and see how many of the people you know can thank modern medicine for still being alive. You will be surprised at the sheer volume of people who are still healthy and active whom a century ago would have died from various infections, accidents, diseases, etc.

[fifthchamber]

Hi Otto.
And Happy Birthday sir!!....Don't worry...They only get worse here on in....I am still dying to beg my own parents to buy me an "Optimus Prime" now that they are back out..I think I was close to eight with the first....The only change being 24 makes is that now I would (Probably... ) keep it in the case..
I'm with Cady here entirely...Being "Mature" and being a "Grown up" are still a few worlds apart...And moving wider and wider...(What? You mean there was NO fantasy ideal behind the choice to take up Samurai arts?... )....
Wait until kids ask you how old you are and then stand back, floored when you say "20"....."THATS old!!"..... Sheesh!!
Regards...And Happy Birthday!

[Chiburi]

Thank you to all of you! I simply can't think of myself as an "adult" and "grown up." I'll just keep taking on the years and at sometime I'll maybe grow up. A while back my 4-yr-old nephew asked my sister if I have kids. "Why would he?" asked my sister, and the kid answered, "Because his so tall!!". I just burst out laughing

Who called you old, Harvey? As long as someone is in good shape I grant him or her the use of the term "young" if they so wish.

Two jumps today, the second ended in a bad landing and now my ankle and the left side of the foot are a bit sore. Enough to keep me limping around. But man it's FUN! What a way to spend your birthday -- jumping off a plane with about 30 degrees outside and a clear sky! At the moment of my birth I was re-packing the rig with no idea what time it was. It felt a bit harded to get up as an "adult", though



Cheers,

[Chiburi]

Originally posted by Kenzo
In Canada you can-
have sex at 14
drive at 16
vote at 18
drink at 19
but you're not a man until you get out of mommy's house

I think my dad is paying the rent
True, true. But since I'm planning to leave to go study somewhere else, I think I'll still bunk with mommy and daddy for the year or two before the army.
Just for your curiosity:
In Finland you can have sex at 15 (of course no one's preventing you even before if the partner is of same age and is physically capable), drive at 18, vote at 18, drink at 18 (liquors at 21 years.. over 20% alcoholic drinks I believe, as well as ride bikes with over 600cc). 18 -- Keeping it simple!

Cheers,

Cheers,

[Soulend]

Have a good time, and try not to get in too much trouble. These are the years you'll always look back on. Just remember that you're still just a silly-ass kid and don't know sh*t yet! JUST KIDDING!! Congratulations!

[Shitoryu Dude]

Me - I'm a crusty old fart of 40

Recent article I read a few weeks back put the age of "maturity" at about 26 to 30. By that time you had gotten your education, found a decent job and were supporting yourself. Of course, I thought the argument fell apart when they mentioned that you had to have children (at least 20% of the population does not reproduce, so xeroxing yourself should not be a "mandatory" stage in being considered mature, particularly when so many idiots do it by accident and can't afford them) in order to be an adult, but I thought that a mortgage was appropriate.

Getting married is also an option that you can put off until quite a bit later as well. Women will tell you that this is not true, but they are lying. They want just you to conform to their baby-making schedule before they perceive themselves as a barren old crow who missed out on her chance to flood the world with little copies of herself. I know many people who get married for the first time in their late 30's or later (these people are usually much happier). Just remember that children are a lifestyle choice - and a very expensive one at that. Make sure you don't have any until you are 100% sure that YOU want them and are financially and emotionally ready. Never be extorted into reproducing.

This conflicts rather greatly with the American progression into adulthood of just a couple generations ago when girls commonly got married in their late teens and boys did so in their early 20's. Couples reaching 30 would be expected to have had numerous children and to have been married nearly a decade by that point. Now you would be considered to be uneducated trailer trash with no prospects if you did the same thing. Back then you were almost considered an adult at 18 or 19 and expected to have a job and be self-sufficient.

Of course, there was a lot less to consider then as well. Houses were much simpler (dream houses were for the rich) and you commonly lived in it for decades, you only needed one vehicle at most (which you could maintain yourself), and all of our fancy forms of entertainment didn't exist. Of course, you would be dead before you turned 65, so you needed to get an early start on it all.

[Chiburi]

Originally posted by Soulend
Have a good time, and try not to get in too much trouble. These are the years you'll always look back on. Just remember that you're still just a silly-ass kid and don't know sh*t yet! JUST KIDDING!! Congratulations!

I bet that when I'll look back, a silly-ass kid who doesn't know sh!t is what I see. But that's life Thanks!

Thank you for the brief lesson, Harvey!

Cheers,

[Charlie Kondek]

"Lines form 'cross my face and hands..."

You know that song, Otto? If not, please go directly to the record store and find an Alice Cooper album with "18" on it...



"I'm in the middle without any plans,
I'm a boy and I'm a man -
I'm

EIGHTEEN!"

[dirithtai]

Otto:

I'm staring my 21st in the face soon, and all I can think is 'Boys never grow up, they just buy more expensive toys '

And I realized, its true, as my income increses, the percentage of money spent on toys actually remains constant, the toys just get bigger and cooler.

(And I'm beginning to regret breaking my first optimus prime, its worth like 200 bucks right now...sigh)