“I wish I could grow up and be a big kid”.  That's what I said at such a young age but thinking back to when I was a little boy at only six years old, it is so much different than how my life is now.  Being a little kid consists of fun, school, and the necessities of life, like sleeping and eating.  Now it feels like my life is school, work and work even more.

The biggest thing people remember about being young was wanting to grow up, but the things people say once they are grown up is that they want to be little again.  Being little means running around all summer getting kissed by the sun, and scraping your knees after running at the park.  While being old in the summer means working and trying to find free time.  In my personal experience it always felt like I could play around until I died, but now I can’t get up the stairs without having to catch my breath. 

I don't remember being stressed as a little kid anymore then being stressed if my parents might find out I had a chocolate bar when they weren't looking.  

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not exactly old but I am grown, grown enough to pay car bills and a full time summer job.  Being a teenager for me is a love-hate relationship. I hate working but I love getting paid, I hate having to make plans but I love hanging out.  Therefore looking back on when I was young I was chasing one thing, growing up.  Now I'm chasing a different thing, which is something I can’t receive.

I'm not chasing a girl, I'm not chasing my dog that snuck outside, but I'm chasing the satisfaction of being free like how I was when I was little.  

So tell me, why did I have to grow up so fast?