Category Archives: Growing Up

Where does it go?

Posted in Dilemmas, Friends, Growing Up, Life by

Friendship is a funny thing. When you’re young, you’re bold and walk up to anyone on the playground, asking them innocently “Do you want to be my friend?” They say yes and the memories start being made.

Today, you find new friends where you can. Forced socialization during your university classes, coworkers you get along with, the significant others of your significant other’s friends; the list goes on. Some of these friendships end up being strong, sturdy friendship that last forever; others will  simply be acquaintances where you say a simple “Hey, how’s it going?” in the grocery store or a generic “Happy Birthday, have a good one!” on Facebook.

I have never had a friend where I could not talk to them for three or more months and then meet up with them and have it be like we were never apart. I have friends who I don’t see in that amount of time, but I still talk to them.

It’s a strange feeling when you think you’re losing a friend. You send them texts and messages and they don’t reply, or you get a strained “Hello, Goodbye” in passing. It’s super confusing when you once considered the person your best friend. Do you keep trying or do you let them come to you when they’re ready, going on with life as you normally do? Do you ask them, “Hey, are we still friends or what?” or ignore it?

My friends mean the world to me and it’s confusing when they stop talking to you for no apparent reason. An explanation would be nice.

Why are friendships sometimes more work than they should be? Where do they go when they suddenly disappear?

Waiting on marriage

Posted in Growing Up, Kara and Kyle, Love, Money by

First comes love, then comes marriage, then come [name] pushing the baby carriage!

If only that were true these days!

As I am mentioned a couple times, Kyle and I have been dating for a loooong time. Like, seven years, long. We’ve been together since we were 16. It’s an oddity these days to find couples who have been dating that long. I know of three other couples who started dating when they were 16/17 and two of them are married. (I even went to both weddings last year)

Back in the day, my mom was already married and pregnant (with yours truly) by the time she was my age. Kyle and I have been taking things slow. We’ve only been living together for just over a year and we’re slowly starting to save for a house.

Basically, what it comes down it is, people these days are taking their time to get educated and establish themselves in the world before settling down. Kyle and I would rather have good jobs and a house before getting married. Yeah, we’ll eventually get married. Truuust me.

I’m just tired of people asking me “When are you guys going to get married??” Really, I have no idea. One day, when we’re where we want to be in life, it’ll happen. We’re perfectly happy shacked up in sin (so to speak) and the past year of living together has been amazing. One of my friends said to me once that I should give up after 10 years if hadn’t proposed. Yeah, I’d love that ring on my finger, but I think that if you love someone enough it shouldn’t matter how long he takes to pop the question.

Anyway, that’s just my thoughts.  We’ll get married, one day. I don’t know when, but I know it will happen. Good things happen to those who wait, right?

Slow down, there’s more life to live

Posted in Appearances, Growing Up, Life, Reflections by

I was in the changing room at the gym, getting frustrated as usual because the floor was soaking wet because the little girls in there were running around soaking wet after getting out of the pool. (I have a thing with wet socks, okay?) I nearly slipped and broke my neck because of my non-slip friendly footwear when I heard these little girls singing Justin Timberlake’s “Sexy Back”. Err, wha?

It made me wonder, do these girls even know what sexy means? They couldn’t have been any older than 9 and here they’re singing a song that came out when they were 5. When I was their age I was still watching Sailor Moon and music hadn’t even struck my interest yet. (That would be grade 5, when I fell in love with the Backstreet Boys)

I have seen kids younger than 9 with coloured streaks in their hair. I’ve seen 11-year-olds with mascara on. I’d probably pass out if I saw a 12-year old with a septum piercing. Christ, I’ve heard kids who look that age talk about sex. Whaa? I’m pretty sure I didn’t even know what a (pardon my rudeness but -) blow job was until well into Grade 7. Okay, I was the same age as those kids, but I wasn’t freaking trading techniques during recess.

My question is – are kids these days growing up too fast? Every movie appealing to a younger audience revolves around sex, drugs and well, rock and roll. (Okay, maybe not rock and roll, but you know) My 16 year old cousin (well, kinda cousin) claims she loves a guy after they were dating for a week. Young girls are wearing make-up and revealing clothing … it’s sad really. Whatever happened to being young and innocent? Is society putting too much pressure on kids to grow up and act like adults?

I may sound like an old fuddy-duddy, but when I was 12, I didn’t have a cell phone, Facebook, or even high speed Internet. I never felt pressured to be more grown up. Sometimes I just want to ask these kids, “What the hell? Can’t you see that there’s more to life than appearances and being popular?”

Maybe it’s just me. Maybe it’s not.