Naive until 16

From the moment I was born I have  felt older 

than the rest of my friends. 

Whether it be in age, school, or my way of thinking.

 

I have always known what I wanted to be 

when I grew up ever since career day in kindergarten. 

 

I have always thought before speaking and most definitely never acted before I carefully

execute every little detail in my brain. 

 

I have always had my mind on the future,

thinking of everything I could do to prepare. 

While my friends' thoughts were on boys, school gossip and celebrities. 

 

So if I was already so grown-up in my childhood, how did I know that I had finally hit adulthood? 

I think it was the moment I hit 16 years old. 

 

At 16, I got my first summer job. 

Goodbye sleeping in and hello early mornings.

Goodbye to spontaneous nights out with friends and hello to late nights at work.

 

At 16, I was now expected to pay for things with my own money and not rely on my parents. 

 

I was now learning about not only money management, but time management. 

Figuring out how to still have a social life, but not give up on my responsibilities at work. 

 

At 16, I enrolled in a trade school to finally launch my path leading me to my future career. 

Here, I became a leader, no longer following my friends around like a lost puppy. 

 

See I thought that I was so grown-up, more than most of my friends. 

But it didn't hit me until I turned 16 how naive I was. I thought that being an adult 

was going to be so easy since I had everything planned out. 

What I didn't know was that life has different plans. 

 

At 16, I was also rewarded with freedom.

The ability to go wherever I liked. 

I now had my driver's license. 

 

With this new found freedom and paychecks

came temptations. 

I could now buy whatever I wanted, but what I didn't know was how expensive everything was.

Up until I was 16 years old,

my parents paid for everything. 

 

From the moment I was born, I felt older.

Whether it be in age, school, or my way of thinking. 

 

But it wasn't until I turned 16 that I truly understood what it meant to be an adult. 

The responsibilities, temptations, and of course the freedom that comes with it. 

 

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