Growing Older But Not Quite Wiser

I think 30 is the mark where everyone stops caring about getting older. There aren't any decisive studies about this, that I know of anyhow, but I'm completely positive that all the 30 plussers that I know don't worry about the next birthday that comes around the bend. I, on the other hand, do care. At the age of 24, I would have loved to stop time last year. Being 23 was fantastic. I had a fabulous birthday (with an awesome story that will not be repeated here), I had a great job, good friends and I felt young which, as we all know, is crucial. Turning 24 was a lot like turning 18, you're older and assume wiser but really the only thing that you're looking forward to is the next milestone birthday. I couldn't have cared less about 19 and 20, which is really how I feel about 24. I'm really just waiting for 25 because 25 means that I can rent a car without paying that ridiculously overpriced 'under 25' fee AND my car insurance rates go down. Two very important scenarios, the latter more so than the former, that I would love to occur tomorrow.

I don't remember being in high school and just hoping and praying that I could just get older already so I can be done with this. Okay, so that's not entirely true. I wanted out of high school as fast as possible, but while I was stuck there I made the best of everything. I hung out with friends, went to football games, Junior Prom, movies, etc. If you traded out work for school and tequila nights at the bar for football games then I really haven't changed all that much in six or seven years. I've gotten older, learned a few lessons, and perceive myself to be a little bit smarter than I was way back in 2003, but my life is mostly the same. I still hang out with friends, go to the movies, junior prom is really just a night at the club without the fancy dresses, and I'm still loving life. I don't understand why everyone, okay not everyone but it sure as shit feels like everyone, is just chomping at the bit to mimic Toby Keith's You're Gonna Miss This. Are there other early 20 somethings getting married and having babies left and right (not in that order) or is it just the town that I grew up in?

My best friend, a girl that I've known practically all of my life, thinks that I'm overreacting. I beg to differ. Granted, she's a bit bias because she was married at 19 and a mom of two at 22. I was working at McDonalds when I was 19 and discovering the joys of higher elevation whilst drinking at 22. Now don't get me wrong, my aunt was a mom at only 15 and she's awesome so I'm not saying that all young mothers are idiots because they most certainly are not. I'm just saying, aren't we still babies at 23 or 24? People are living a lot longer these days and one of my life goals is to make it to 101 just so that white bald guy can show my picture on the Smuckers label during the Today Show. Knowing that, if I were to become a mother right now, at 24 years old, then I would have about 80 years with those kids and their children. That's almost 4 times my current lifespan. That's insane! Now I'm sure this little post will come around to bite me in the ass because I'll leave here, go volunteer at the Marine base back in NC, fall in love and pop out a kid and all of this will happen in less than 2 years. Maybe by then I'll be more mature, i.e more willing to give up my free time, but right now, pass me a shot, I'm ready to dance!