Longing to grow older is a bit like wishing for death, praying for your life to advance more quickly.
When I was a small child I wanted to grow up. I felt trapped. My legs were too short and I couldn’t reach the latch to unlock our front door.
In elementary school, I wanted to be older. I was afraid. The other kids were mean to me and I wanted to get away from them.
Junior high was difficult and I felt misunderstood. Teachers spoke down to me and school was hard. I wanted it to be over wishing adulthood would hurry up.
At fifteen I was feeling suffocated. All I wanted was to be sixteen so I could get my drivers license and be free.
When I turned sixteen I got my license. For a while I was content. Eventually, I started to want more freedom and the familiar longing started up again.
After turning eighteen I wanted to be twenty-one. My ego was huge and I wanted to be a “real adult”.
At twenty-one nobody took me seriously. I was too young to know anything and still wanted to be older.
By the time I turned twenty-five things were getting better .I was beginning to realize how much of my life had been wasted wishing I was somewhere else. Finally, I wanted to learn how to appreciate the present moment.
Now that I’m two months shy of thirty my life is better than it’s ever been. I don’t long to be older have a greater appreciation for where I am now.
Life is more enjoyable when you aren’t preoccupied with being somewhere else (or in my case somewhen). Living in the future causes anxiety and stops you from seeing the joys right in front of you.
I know this now but it took thirty years to figure this out.