Coming of Age: Little People, Gigantic World
Virgin Suicides film still
by Breanna Washington
One day you’re sitting in class at your desk with your classmates and everything is fine, then suddenly you start growing. You start growing so much that the screws start to come out of your desk and your desk collapses. You become so embarrassed because you’re growing and growing while everyone is making fun of you. They’re pointing and laughing and calling you a giant. Soon, you’re too big even for your friends, the school and even the town; So you pack up and make your way down some unknown path. You keep walking until you find a beanstalk, you look up and you see light. You take a leap of faith and climb the beanstalk, and at the top is a world you’ve never seen before. All around you, there are giants. They all look so happy, they take you in with open arms, and you’re so confused as to why there are no little people around. Then it strikes you, you were never supposed to be amongst the little people, you were supposed to be with the giants the whole time.
I’m asking you to be open to change. I understand it can sound like a foreign concept especially when you’re so young but give it a try. Allow the people you surround yourself with to grow at their own pace and be open to the fact that people, places and things constantly come and go. I cannot stress this enough. Trust me when I say that even things you believe will be yours forever are not excluded from this concept. You will hear this multiple times in your life but if you can incorporate this into your life early on, it'll help you grow tremendously.
Virgin Suicides film still
Now it’s not all cupcakes and rainbows but some exciting things do take place in the process of growing up. Your fashion sense and aesthetic WILL change! There is hope after all. In a world full of internet access and beautiful people, it is extremely hard to not compare yourself. Everyone does it at least once in their life so don’t punish yourself for doing so, but allow yourself to be who you want to be. Comparison is a roadblock and it will stunt your growth. If you focus too much on what the next person has and you do not, you will find yourself stuck in a world of misery. Understand that no one person has the same opportunities as the next, and everyone has their own obstacles, whether you can see it or not.
It is okay to be different. When you start to grow up, you will learn that being different is the greatest gift life could ever give you. Do not conceal your individuality; it separates you from others and brings you closer to your truth, whatever that looks like. It doesn’t matter if you’re a bookworm, an introvert, an anime fanatic, have blue hair or like a certain genre of music that isn’t “socially” acceptable. Maybe you’re starting to become interested in religious backgrounds you were not introduced to in your environment and you’re afraid of your questions. Maybe you get along with everybody and you have many friends but you don’t feel connected to a single soul around you so you find yourself lonely most days. Maybe what your family has in store for you is not at all what you want for your future and it feels impossible to stop what might seem inevitable. Regardless of your circumstances, you have the ability to change the outcome.
Pen15’ on Hulu
Growing up sounds like the beginning of the end doesn’t it? The beginning to a horror story, the day childhood dies, but that couldn't be further from the truth. It is a time where your real life begins to take place and uncertainty is the only truth you will ever know. The only thing that is certain is that everything in this life is ever changing. If you can come to terms with that, then you’ll be absolutely fine. The world is a mysterious place and you are not expected to understand it all, no matter how old you are, where you come from and how many things you experience because nobody does.
Allow yourself to follow your own journey, at your own pace. Stay true to yourself. Experience the emotional rollercoaster and try to love yourself through the process, no matter how scary it may seem. Try not to blame anyone for changing, instead remember the good times, accept reality and simply move on. Be patient with your timing. Whenever this process starts for you, it will only be the beginning of your story. Besides, what’s a good story without a little chaos?
*Originally published June 2019, updated November 7, 2023
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