Safety

When I was young I was told that you can grow up to do and be whatever you want. When I was seven years old I wasn't allowed to go and hang out with my new friends. That was okay, I knew I was a little kid so I thought, 

"Next year I'll be older and can go see my friends!" 

The next year nothing changed so I thought,

"When I'm 13 I'll be able to go out and see my friends, I'll be a teenager."

When I turned 13 I was still not allowed to go and do whatever I wanted in terms of being a kid. I thought, 

"Time is running out, when I'm 16 I'll be allowed to go to concerts and hang out whenever I want."

When I turned 16 I was grounded for having poor grades. So I thought,

"When I'm 18 I'll be an adult, there will be no excuse to hold me back!"

When I turned 18 I didn't have a job and was yelled at at every turn, I couldn't see my boyfriend, and I was forced onto a scholastic path I didn't think was for me. Remember my grades weren't that good to begin with.

When I turned 21 I was stuck. My family didn't care what I did. I didn't know where to go or what to do. I cried over the lost time and I cried over what path to take.

Now I am 23 and I know I have to make sacrifices but I'm scared to disappoint myself. 

I'm sure it will the most satisfying disappointment I'll ever experience.

-C