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This piece is fresh as they come. These thoughts stayed with me for a while, and were the inspiration for this poem after someone close to me went through something life changing.
Because he grew up with me, I started to think about how he would deal with this same scenario in different stages of our lives, and about how the way we feel changes with age and life experience.
I am aware that the tone of the poem may feel like I am even older than I am, but I think experience sometimes has little to do with age. But I would like to talk about how certain young people can feel about things they have little to no experience in. At least that is how I remember feeling. Now it is so naive to say it, but I felt in control, like maybe I knew something people didn’t.
I think a large part of growing up is realizing that you may not know what you’re doing, and you want to make people believe otherwise, but the same goes for everybody. It is a funny feeling, but it can also be frustrating. Maybe someone should have warned us about this fact about life, right?
My creative process for this one feels hard to explain, but maybe the poem can speak for itself. It is one of my best, honestly. Mainly because it is so relatable.
How do these words touch you? Tell me your opinions about getting older!
About Growing Up
When I was young, I didn’t always think it through. So the times that I did think it through, felt like caution. When I was young, I didn’t put my foot down often. So when I did put my foot down, It felt like rebellion. When I was young, I didn’t make that many good choices. So when I did make good choices, It felt like maturity. When I was young, I didn’t have a lot of answers. So when I did have some answers, It felt like wisdom. When I was young, I didn’t love that many times. So the times I did love, Felt like forever. When I was young, I didn’t give second chances that much. So when I did give second chances, It felt like forgiveness. When I was young, I didn’t make that many statements. So the statements I did make, Felt set in stone. Now that I am older, I don’t see the world so black and white. So all these shades of grey Feel like a reminder.