*Rites of Passage Make LIfe Interesing and Enjoyable

When I was growing up in the 50’s and 60’s there were wonderful milestones in life that we kids were itching to get to.  First there was 13.  To be a teenager was the first sign of being a cool kid and of being grown up (which was actually a goal!).  Next came 16 when the ever-so-desirable driver’s license was available.  Of course, having your own car was a plus, but in the 60’s that wasn’t always economically possible for all kids.

Having your driver’s license was a sign that you had arrived.  You were responsible…to some extent.  I grew up in a largely agricultural area and many kids my age had already driven ranch and farm vehicles and garnered the trust of their parents to have a license.  My Dad worked at a dynamite factory and we lived in a company town, so I was learning to drive much earlier than many kids today.

The last two rites of passage to be attained were the ages 18 and 21.  Eighteen brought mixed emotions for boys, yes, you could then (back in the 60’s) go to 3.2 beer establishments to dance, meet girls and look cool.  You could also go to college, get a job, an apartment and be “on your own”.  The downside was we were required to register for the draft, and the war in Viet Nam was looming on the horizon.  Twenty-one was desirable because you could go to grown-up nightclubs to party and meet girls.

You’ve probably picked up on a couple of central themes here: 1) girls, 2) getting out on your own and being a grown-up kid.  Twenty-one was the ultimate age because you were viewed as an adult.  Being an adult meant you had power to take charge of your life, move into your own apartment or rent a house.  If you were thinking seriously about your life you were in college bettering yourself and improving your chances for good employment when you graduated.

The sixties were a time of transition and many new things appeared, one of them being the attitude of perpetual youth.  My generation was the first to reject growing up.  This in and of itself isn’t a bad thing, but it became one as time passed.  We even had a phrase: “Don’t trust anyone over thirty”.  Boy did we have a lot to learn.

Milestones in life, like rites of passage, occur to establish points of growth and maturity.  Without these the shadowy lines in the sands of time children don’t experience the changes they need to when they need to.  If you aren’t told you are now a grownup with grownup responsibilities maturity is postponed…”why not keep playing” if allowed to become the attitude.

Adults today are having a tough time on two fronts: 1) they don’t want to grow up, and 2) their kids don’t want to either.  So, who becomes the adult?  Who takes the responsibility of being mature?  Who makes the tough decisions?

If life were never-ending, this would be a different problem.  But, obviously, it isn’t and we are stuck with the need for someone to grow up and be the adult.  With aging, you find out that you should have accepted some things in life earlier; maturity and adulthood are often among them.

The “forever young” attitude is great when it comes to having a positive attitude, staying physically fit and active, but it creates lots of problems on many fronts for our country.  America is a major driving force in the world and it needs mature, responsible adults to lead and implement our policies.  Unfortunately, our supply of those citizens is diminishing as more and more of our young refuse to grow up and be adults, and as our older, mature population ages out of the working and political arenas.

Our country has reached a rite of passage and we aren’t anywhere close to being ready to grow up and take advantage of it.  The world wants a leader to make strong stands on vital issues, and we, as the most likely candidate are mired in many infantile practices such as:

·    We huge segments of our population who don’t vote.
·    They are more interested in “entertainment news” than world affairs.
·    The divorce rate has reached 50%; commitment has disappeared.
·    Large portions of the society are unwilling to better themselves and look to the         government for support.
·    We are undisciplined concerning our health, weight, fitness, finances, and education         because we will live “forever young”.

Anyone over twenty-one should re-evaluate how they view life.  They should see that it is filled with milestones, which enable us to age with responsibility and maturity making life extremely enjoyable.  

Always wanting to be young is a desirable “value based” dream; always wanting to be responsible is a “virtuous” goal.  Values are fluid and change with time, not always for the better; virtues on the other hand are concrete, time-tested beliefs, which when implemented enable you to mature properly and make great decisions in life.

Keep an attitude of looking forward to life’s milestones.  They are a sign of maturity and quality that will ultimately make your life rich with an understanding of how life works in the real world, not the fantasy world of perpetual kid-dom.

Any way you look at it, it’s one man’s opinion, mine.