Chapter 43
21 years OLD
June 2015
If you google, "what happened on June 18, 1994"
nothing much will come up. A world record was broken in the 100m freestyle, and
a famous man died, but you wouldn't recognize his name, he was a "rose
grower." My birthdate isn't a special day in the world’s eyes, but as I
write this post, now as one year older, 21, I feel special to be alive and have
the opportunity to live one more day.
21 isn't any different when u wake up, unless of course you
have a rough night. I can now buy alcohol, gamble, and I'm a legal adult. I am
free to make my own decisions, but now, yes now, I'll pay the full price.
As I approach my senior year of college, what some would
classify as the last year of freedom, I begin to reflect. I reflect every
morning as my 7am alarm sounds that sends me to my internship. I reflect on the
summer days where I would wake up around 10:30, turn on the TV, maybe watch
Fairly Odd Parents or Jimmy Neutron, throw some bagel bites in the microwave,
and call my neighborhood friends on our HOUSE phone. Yes a HOUSE phone, which I
haven't used in years. We'd ride bikes together, play basketball all day, build
stuff, swim, fish, shoot each other with air-soft guns, get in trouble with our
parents for playing too late, and all in all, we had few worries- we had it
made.
I love reflecting on the past because it shows you where
you've been and how you got where you are. Currently, I'm working an internship
as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at a small consumer product investment company.
My job consists of working with a number of their different companies. It's my
goal to increase sales and awareness of the products, my bosses have even
encouraged me to find a new product to launch! In the 4 weeks that I've worked
at my internship, I have enjoyed every minute. The experience has taught me so
much about the business field and has encouraged me to think differently. In 3
years, I'll look back on this internship and smile, just as I smile about my
childhood because there is a reason for me being where I am today. However, I'm
not entirely sure what the pain of an air soft gun has to do with where I am
today.
Three short years ago I was in the shoes of a graduated high
school student. I was advising myself and you to relax. To take it all in, read
a book, and to chill out because the "real world" was coming. Little
did I know, that was great advice, except for the fact that the "real
world" hadn't started. College is awesome. School, friends, events, games,
I could go on and on. College is ONE of the best times of your life, but it's
not the BEST time of your life. As I write, 10 months from college graduation,
I have little idea of what's next in my life. However, I know it'll be
incredible. Just think, if you acted like a young, energized college freshman every
day, your life would be filled with joy.
Brad Paisleys song, letter to me, is one of my favorites.
It's about a man reflecting on his own life, and if he could've written a
letter to himself in the future what he would've said. At the end of the song
Brad sings, “I guess I'll see you in the mirror, when you're a grown man, P.S
go hug Aunt Rita every chance you can." I've listened to that song since I
was 16, and it's still so true. Life sucks sometimes, but you've got to keep
pushing and seeing the positive in the negatives.
Remember this: you turn 21 once, but make good decisions,
and if you don't, clean them up.
