Let’s go back in time to when the grass looked greener, and we had no worries in the world. It was a time when most of us looked forward to growing up and the endless possibilities of the future. 

I remember how I always wanted to be a vet in elementary school, and how I always longed to be in high school, specifically NASH. When I was five, I looked forward to being 10 because it meant double digits. When I was finally 10, I couldn’t wait to be 13 because it meant that I’d finally be a teenager. Now I am 16 years old, and if I’m being honest, I want to be five again. 

Nothing truly prepares you for the amount of change that you experience when growing up. It’s strange seeing my friends drive, and having jobs, but I guess it is just a part of growing up. School is not as fun and easy as it used to be because of the increase in responsibilities. Time feels as if it is moving faster than it used to, and the more I try to grasp the innocence of being a child, the more it starts to slip away. 

Growing up means more responsibilities. Whether it is simply just having to feed the dog and do your own laundry, or taking harder classes, possibly holding a part-time job, and formulating a plan for the future, the days without burdens are long over. 

School becomes increasingly more difficult. High Schoolers are swamped with schoolwork, causing higher stress and anxiety levels. Cross River Therapy says that 45% of students in high school admit to being stressed almost every day in school.

As a child, I never imagined having as much homework and responsibilities as I do today. I did not understand what stress was when I was little.

Riding bikes turned into driving cars. Growing up gives teenagers the privilege of being able to get their driver’s license. I will admit, it is nice not having to rely on my parents to take me places, but at the same time, the independence takes away a piece of my childhood, as I always thought that I would have to wait forever to be behind the wheel.

When we are young, it is hard to imagine that friendships can significantly change as we get older. It can feel awkward and alienating to see friends from of childhood grow into strangers in high school.

A lot of things are different now, like the way we view the world, but the changes we go through while growing up aren’t always bad. Growing up has its advantages too, such as more freedom or even just simply being old enough to ride a roller coaster at an amusement park.

As a kid, I thought that my graduation year, 2024, was so far away, but next year, I turn 18 years old, and I graduate high school. The present that I am living in is the future that I thought was so far away as a child. And while I am excited for what my future will bring, I have to admit that I miss the easier days of my childhood.