Ayla+M’s+OpEd+Article

I’m 16 years 1 month and 27 days old. I will be applying to college in 6 months. I feel as if I am still that buck-toothed 5th grader. I still have my child side and I never realized how quickly life would go by. Each day passes without acknowledgment. Each week passes by without acknowledgement. Each month passes by without acknowledgment. Then years and as soon as you realize, you are 67 years old and reminiscing about your youth.

A 16 year old isn’t a child anymore. Our generation has some type of maturity that isn’t comprehensible. We think in a more developed, intricate manner. I am convinced that adults are pushing their kids to grow up as soon as possible and that is what is infuriating. I HATE the idea of wasting my youth as I feel I am doing. I want to have fun and make memories, which I do, but not as often as I would like. I feel as if I’m not actually getting the “teenage experience”. At times I can be more independent and mature but then I am dependent on my parents and immature around friends. Then I ask myself “Is that being an adult? What is the difference between me and an adult?”

I’ve only been around for 16 years 1 month and 27 days and how do I feel? Like adults are pushing us out of our youth. I am 99.9% positive that my parents and their parents didn’t have these worries and thoughts when they were a teacher. We shouldn’t have to think about money, spouses and the rest of our lives at this young. Being young means to live a life without worry and have as much fun as you can.