Two years ago on this very day, May 25th, I sat outside punching the keys on what was thought to be a new beginning (New Beginnings). It was a big time for me as yours truly finally completed Graduate School, and it was also the day I received the job offer from my current employer. It was a big change that incorporated a fresh start moving forward.
And then there was last year (What Does 26 Mean?). Turning 26 felt as odd as the milestone would seem. It was a celebration of being in between milestone birthdays, and one where I wasn't exactly sure how I should feel. As I stated in that post, at the time:
And life will change.Turning 26, is just another change.
So here we are, on May 25th, 2012 and I am officially 27 years old. Twenty-Seven!
Today marks more change, but I wouldn't be true to myself if I didn't say I know exactly what twenty-seven means.
When you were younger, or even in college, anyone that is twenty-three, twenty-four, or heck even twenty-five was still considered young enough to have excuses to be a bit care-free or still searching for their place in this life and in this world. Maybe, mayyyyyyybe we can allow twenty-six in there as well. After all, there are some late bloomers in life.
However, twenty-seven is that age everyone expects an individual to have their, ahem, "stuff" together.
Now, in no way am I using the world's standards or some societal checkpoint as a barometer on where a twenty-seven year old should be in their life. However, personally, I do feel at the age of twenty-seven, there is a certain trial period in your twenties that you have experienced and should have learned from, and it is now indeed time to grow up.
Imagine that, grow up.
It's a phrase this now twenty-seven year old who is still a big kid at heart fears hearing. It is full of responsibility, hard work, fright, and overall, just sounds like a bad time. Growing up. Yuck. Why did that ever sound like such fun when we were children?
Nonetheless, here we are, growing up. And honestly, I think I am at the point where it is needed to be grown, and to further my growth.
In the 2011 Year in Review, I touched upon the need for growth and change in life. In writing that, I had the past year of getting married and all of the other changes that were happening in mind, as well as this impending change of becoming a year older and hitting the big 2-7.
You know how everyone always asks that (often) ridiculous question of "how does it feel to be (fill in any age here)" on your birthday?
Oddly, enough, for the first time in my life I have an answer.
I feel like twenty-Seven is the beginning of putting child-like things away, and to begin moving forward (for real) on the man God wants me to become.
Twenty-seven feels different. It does. It feels like you're now in the big show.
And in the big show comes big boy responsibility. Big boy responsibilities that include future challenges and new experiences of children, a new home, a new job, dealing with aging parents or simply to continue perfecting and strengthening my marriage. That is what twenty-seven is about. That is what twenty-seven feels like to me.
I am no in no way saying the fun will end here, because it won't. I will still play video games, I will still laugh hysterically at child-like jokes, and will still enjoy Caprisuns and apple sauce for lunch (yeah, yeah I know...). But it is time to become real about my growth - spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and because of age, more so physically.
After all, in just three years, I will be thirty. Thirty! 3-0!
And 30 is much closer than my college years are at this point.
And no one - no one! - wants to be a thirty-year old who doesn't have their life together.
Twenty-seven brings about a need for growth - new responsibilities, more adjustments, and lots of change for this ponderer.
And if you are nearing this age this year, I'm sure you face the same reflections on responsibilities, adjustments, change and growth.
After all, life will change.
At twenty-seven, I hope you begin to do so as well.