Growing Up

March 27, 2006It's funny how people want to be treated like adults long before they are ready to act like them.  We are currently having trouble with people's behavior in the Honors Lounge up here at Tech.  It's not an issue of controversial discussions.  It's an issue of vulgarities and obscenties being yelled while people are in class 50 feet away.  We have set up an enforcement procedure for our Lounge Code of Conduct, and we are taking a lot of flak.  Apparently the 1st Amendment guarantees them the right to say whatever they want, however they want, whenever they want, and whatever volume they want.  I'm all for having adult discussions in the Lounge, but they need to be discussed in an adult fashion.  No topic can only be discussed using obscenities.  It's frustrating.  They think the students that are offended should grow up.  It's hard to make them understand that you can have and express any opinion you want, but there are appropriate and inappropriate ways of doing so.

I wonder how many times I considered myself an adult as I was growing up.  Did I consider myself an adult when I got my car?  Graduated High School?  Turned 18?  I can say now that those sorts of milestones do not an adult make.  I can't point to a revolutionary moment, but my life is radically different than it was a just a year ago.  I am no longer the only person for whom I have primary responsibility.  My schooling is not my most important activity.  Everything is different.  Everything is complicated.  Everything revolves around one little face.



You know... I wouldn't change that for anything.  I love him.  He can have the center of my life.  It was a good trade.