I keep saying to myself, "Just my luck".
I've been waiting to be 21, to be a senior in college, and finally have a little break from the overloading and stressful routine I've maintained reluctantly through college.
I always felt like I had to be doing the most and have the most impressive resume. I liked the busyness and in this case, good thing I did because now the experiences we're able to have are.. limited.
And it seems that now all the fun that I planned to have and all the exciting moments that I reserved for my senior year have now been muted in the name of social distance and rising COVID cases in Florida.
Let's be clear, I'm not saying that just because the virus is upsetting me and my homegirls I'm going to just gallivant any which way. Because not only is that irresponsible, but it is selfish. I'm not perfect and I don't claim to be, but I do try to be considerate of how my actions could affect others.
That being said, I've had a lot of time to reflect on what is important to me deep down. I think the pandemic has shown us where people's priorities lie and for me it has been a moment where I am really able to dissect how I'm feeling without the hustle and bustle of life able to distract me.
So here are 21 things I've learned as I approach 21 years old:
You will never have enough money (lol).
Being passionate about something means you should pursue it and pursue it emphatically. Take yourself and your dreams seriously.
You deserve time to yourself and time to relax.
If something is making you unhappy, find a way to escape from it. For me academically, that was pursuing public health.
You deserve to take up space because you are a human being, one that has always been pushed out of conversations for generations. It is an act of resistance for you to speak up.
There's no right way to be Black. You are Black because you are and you will find community anywhere you find yourself.
You are able to demand more of the institutions you find yourself within and a part of.
Things don't always have to be this way.
Uncomfortable doesn't always mean bad. Embrace the changes and learn to sculpt the life you want.
Faith and hope aren't linear paths but everyday decisions that have a lot to do with the people you surround yourself with.
Men will disappoint and harm you more than you realized but there will be the ones that make up for it.
You're allowed to be angry at your parents and sad about the state of your family without feeling guilty that you are not actively working to fix it.
You don't need to be exhausted to feel worthy.
It is not your responsibility to make everyone happy.
Your past experiences and pain will constantly affect how you interpret people's sarcasm and jokes. But sometimes people are doing too much.
Just because someone else doesn't take your career goals or profession seriously doesn't mean that one day they won't need you and your expertise.
You can advocate for someone everyday. It isn't your job, but if you care enough, you'll work hard at it.
People you admire decided to completely change their minds after realizing they enjoyed something else more and they were still world changers.
Sometimes being able to help a small group/subset of the population that no one cares or thinks about has as much value as being able to help the large group.
Life gets better the more autonomy you begin to have.
This is just the beginning of your life! And the rest of your twenties are going to be... better than that first year because.. yikes.
Cover image by: Destiny Darcel (@destinydarcel on Instagram)
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