What makes you an adult?

To be an equal was never so much a blessing before as it is now.

Being in the U.S by law, we are all equal but there are social situations where we aren't. When we stay over a friends house we have to follow their rules and immediately we aren't equals but beneath them as they have all the decision making power.I'm not arguing this situation, but imagine living at your friends house for two years and reaming in this status where you must always compromise and are never truly part of decision making. It's not on purpose and they are probably nice people but you are no longer an equal and your voice has become limited. This was me.

I am an equal now but didn't  notice I wasn't before. How refreshing it feels to have a voice  among people and know they can't look down on you or treat you lower. I don't have to compromise as much having the same right to be here as anyone else. This realization of how vulnerable I am on my own but powerful enough to be alone finalized my realization there isn't an age you become an adult, it's your state of mind. I have been a young adult for a while now, specifically 16 when I moved out and started paying my own bills but I never felt like one. Compared to peers, sure I was more mature and knew more about life survival basics but I still felt like a teenager trying to fool herself and hopefully, everyone else. There were days I knew exactly what I was doing, others I had no clue what was up and what was down. Financially I'm independent through and through, have great credit with  zero balance, make all on time payments to my bills and have an Insurance that pays for my doctor visits.

I have been very fortunate in my life, what I haven't fought for has been given to me by life. To become an adult means to be independent, realize we are not as invincible as we once thought but realize we are stronger than we give ourselves credit for. It's ok to not have all the answers, to be nervous when the situation calls to be cool and collected. An adult doesn't have life figured out and once you become one you won't stop making mistakes. An adult doesn't mean being an expert at life it's about realizing you'll never will be.

As anything in life, being in an adult is more than being mature and self-reliable because frankly no one gets to the highest point of their lives on their own two feet. We depend on others to give us opportunities, to be lucky enough and be in great terms with a possible employer, have connections with different people for times in need, favors from family to support us with the most mundane tasks and love from our friends to pick us up when we have fallen to our lowest.

Being an adult is about realizing  exactly how far we can go on our own and  move on to higher goals with everyone else. We are all equal, meaning we all have the same "say" in our lives. The "say" to chose what type of milk you drink to choosing  who you'll go places with or be stuck with forever.

My advice though for future reference for when your an adult  settled, probably married and starting a family, even then you won't be a master at life because life keeps going, society changes, stereotypes evolve and technology advances. You have no control over life so there is no way you can be a master of it if you have to keep studying it, you can only be a master of yourself.

So, are you an adult yet or are you still trying to figure out where you belong in the world?

Me? I belong wherever I am at, I'm done looking because I found that a long time ago.

Gabriela Barrera