Memoire
What is an adult? In my opinion being an adult is not just getting old enough to reach the legal age. Turning 18 doesn’t necessarily mean that you are already an adult, yes you are legally considered an adult, but according to science, an adult is any organism old enough and has reached sexual maturity and be able to produce offspring,. These two definitions are what people call the “social adults” and the “biological adult”.
In my own experience, the first time that I felt like an adult was when the adults in my family asked my opinion during dinner. Growing up in a predominantly African family, children’s opinions are not really considered during family discussions. On that day we came from the cemetery and we proceeded to a restaurant because of some supernatural about the bad spirits and other beliefs. Everybody was doing their usual routines the adults sat together talking about politics and the like, and we the children sat together and played with our toys and with each other. Of course I, being the nosy boy that I am, was listening intently to what the adults were talking about. My father noticed me eavesdropping on their conversation, and then he asked me to tell the family what I think about what they were talking about. I remember feeling really enthusiastic as I voiced out my opinions and participated in their adult discussions. This was my first memory of being treated as an adult, a mature member of the family.
During my third year in high school I was already considered a senior member of my school’s soccer team. Being one of the older members of the team the coaches told me to look after some of the kids and that I was responsible whether they show up during their events and not get disqualified in their respective heats. This at first made me feel very nervous as this the first time I was entrusted with the responsibility of that magnitude. Coinciding with the feeling of nervousness was the sense of pride that I had because I was trusted enough by my mentor, my coach, this was one of those moments when I truly felt like a grown-up.
Aside from that glorious and memorable event of being is some ways a coach during my junior year, the burden of adulthood did not only