When I was in high school, I envied those older than me because they had so much "free time." Dad would always have time to read the newspaper, take volunteer coaching jobs for siblings, or spend lots of time working on fun projects around the house. On the other hand, I struggled under the weight of marching band, basketball, and academics. Dad would frequently tell me this was one of the easiest times of my life—which really bothered me.
Not long after my mission, I realized I had let my gospel scholarship degrade: I struggled to stay awake as I read scriptures at night, and I wasn't quite as quick to remember specific verses when I was teaching. But, thought I, this would all be made up at a future grown-up date when I had nothing better to do in the early morning hours. I'm quickly realizing this isn't the case. In a recent discussion with an older friend, he mentioned that you don't really change as you get older—you just get older. I'm quickly realizing that this is the case.
But I've also realized something else. While some of us are eagerly awaiting (even seeking out) changes that will signify our "grown-up period," there are an equal number who avoid change at all cost. Still stuck in their [insert adjective for "opposite of adult"] years, they avoid (even rebel against) change. Again on introspection, I've noticed the intersection of interests between myself and this latter pre-adult group of people is quickly shrinking in size. Let's just hope this doesn't lead to disgust and more accusations of narcissism.
On another note, I stayed up until 2am trying to fix our leaking refrigerator hose. And by fix, I mean I applied 6 easy-stick bike patches and a long piece of electrical tape to a hole in the hose before I finally gave up and turned the water off. Maybe Dad wasn't using his "free time" to fix broken sprinkler pipes, either...
