Growing up...

A few of my friends will be getting married in the next four or five months. One in April, three in June, and another in August. A lot of other people I know have gotten engaged or will be getting engaged soon.

*Cue Queen's 'Another One Bites The Dust'*

People I graduated high school with have children, people I went to college with have children or are planning to have children. And here I am, excited about going to Centenary in the fall and graduating to start my masters program.

Is this a part of being 23? The people I mentioned above are no more than a year or so older than me, and some are a year or so younger. Am I suppose to be in the same spot? Looking to get married and start a family despite my goals and dreams of career achievement? Am I suppose to be putting those goals and dreams aside for something that traditional society says I'm suppose to be doing? Because I can't.

Here is my announcement to all that read here: You don't have to get married while in college or just out of college! You can in fact experience the world, learn to support yourself, find out who you are before you get married. That's not what life is all about. It is okay to be older, and more mature before you get married and settled down.

I just wish someone else would recognize that.