Published in The News Record
Photograph: File art | Pixabay
Oct 2, 2018
College is a strange time in life. We sit on the precipice of the real world, yet most of us have no idea what we are doing. It often feels as though it would be easier to revisit our childhood — a time in life when the world looked so black and white, rather than the complicated gray filter that epitomizes adulthood.
One of the cruelest parts of getting older is watching those you idolized fall from the glorified pedestal you once envisioned them on. Growing up with Bill Cosby as ‘America’s dad’ adds weight to the horrifying testimonies of his victims. Watching the fading façade of the man we once saw as a perfect father figure illustrates the raw unpleasantness of the world.
It could be so easy, and yet so childlike, to forget about it. So easy to naively believe that good always beats evil. So easy to blindly trust in government to withhold power from those that would abuse it.
But reality isn’t easy. A 2014 report from the Harvard political says that, according to the U.S. Justice Department, “more than 20,000 public officials and private individuals were convicted for crimes related to corruption” in the last two decades.
It’s hard to come to terms with the fact that those entrusted to implement protective legislation may simply be interested in protecting themselves. Per the report referenced above, 47 states have “failed to maintain state integrity in areas such as budget transparency, government scandals, and crime by cabinet officials.”
Father Time loves to hit us with new responsibilities, and they’re often heavier than rent payments and oil changes. Instead, adult responsibilities manifest themselves as we struggle to understand sickness and death, the loss of friendships and the emotional burden of watching our parents age. There’s so much more to adulthood than what television might have led us to believe as children.
Being free to make our own decisions seems fantastic when we want pancakes for dinner. But for the big decisions, like choosing whether to risk massive debt to pursue grad school, I would much rather have my parents’ guidance.
But adulthood isn’t all bad. One of my favorite aspects is the realization that nobody else knows what they’re doing, either. As my friends and acquaintances start building families, I begin to understand that anyone can have children. I now appreciate that my parents are not the all-seeing Eye of Sauron I once thought they were. Parents are people, and like the rest of us, they are struggling and figuring it out as they go along.
As young adults everywhere begin to enter to workforce, I can’t help but feel happy. I’m happy to know that the world’s teachers, doctors, lawyers and journalists are real people. Growing up isn’t only about understanding the harsh reality of our world. It’s about accepting that it’s up to us to make it better.
Maggy McDonel 