Embracing responsibility and learning from our mistakes as Adults

You know one of the things we often wished for as children had been to grow up quickly so we can start making our own rules and doing whatever we wanted. What we fail to know then was that our parents or guidance were mostly protecting from the world. And that being an adult is way beyond being able to make your own decisions. It entails making decisions and being ready to take responsibility for our actions and choices. And then we would be ready to face the consequences of these actions.

It's stepping out into adulthood that made everything make sense to us. I especially began to understand the sacrifices our parents made to make sure we are fed, clothed, sheltered, and educated. I have been an adult for a while now and I know that it's not easy to make sacrifices for the next person but our parents made those sacrifices when they woke up every day and when their heads hit the bed at night.

They postponed whatever would make them happy and concentrated on making sure we were okay as kids and that we did not lack any vital things. Some children might see all of those sacrifices and would still go out of their way to ask for more because they see their friends have more. And in this equation, no one tells them that their friends could probably be faking it or that their parents are buying them off by providing material things in exchange for not being present in their lives as they navigate life, school, relationship, and everything else that life has to offer.

Listening to the Sorry, blame it on me by Akon this evening brought all of these realizations to bear. I had different realizations while I listened and sang as a kid but it was on the surface. I was mostly concentrating on the lyrics and trying to decipher what Akon was saying. Up till today, every time I listen again and again, each line makes even more sense. I always pictured the entire events in my mind and tried to make every line into a scene that I can relate to what his regrets were and what he had been trying to take responsibility for.

It's not easy to be an adult and there is no manual for us. But there are decisions that we can make that would either make or mar our future. And no one said we won't be making mistakes, we might, but, we have to be able to understand the hand that life is dealing us with and use it to our advantage and win.