This is actually serious so . . .

I've come to the realization today that I'm changing. I'm not the person that I was before (whether that means 5 years ago or 5 minutes ago I'm not really sure). I guess I've just come to the decision that it's time to grow up. We're not kids anymore; we can't expect mom and dad to take care of us and fix our problems and we can't worry about just ourselves. There's a whole world out there with people with real problems. The days when the biggest problems were where we were gonna go out to drink at, if we should get Taco Bell or McDonalds, or if everyone on the team liked us or not are ending. The drama that dictated our lives and cause irreparable damage to friendships was really nothing but pettiness, selfishness, and immaturity on behalf of every person involved. Gossipping really does hurt people - no matter how many times people try to justify what they're saying or talking about. Criticizing people behind their backs and focusing on other's faults causes damage to their self esteem and their confidence in themselves and still does nothing to your own ego. Judging people doesn't allow you to see who the person really is. You might miss a potential best friend because you didn't look deep enough. You might miss that you could really help a person or that someone might really need your help. Somtimes the simplest thing can change a person's life. Sometimes having one good talk with a person who really needed it can lead to you being a role model and a hero for someone. You never know. You might be too busy with your own life to realize that there are people who would give everything they could to have your problems instead of their own. Kids who hide food, sleep with water by their bed, can't handle anyone too close, and are sexually active with as many people as they possibly can because they've dealt with trauma that most of us can't even imagine. And this isn't the minority. It's more than anyone realizes.
So it's time for me to grow up. And contrary to the belief that no one wants to grow up, I like it. I'm not a kid. I'm independent and can take care of myself. There are people who trust me. There are people who love me. There are days when I'm someone's hero and days when someone is mine. Life is really cool. And when we look at the big picture it's just overwhelming. It's hard. It's especially hard to see the pain and the bad. But then you see the simple acts - a kid who barely has anything to their name giving something to someone who has even less - and you're changed. You realize that there is good. And as long as there is hope and empathetic people who really want to help others, the world will still be an amazing place.
I'm not trying to call out people or place blame - so please don't think that this is directed towards anyone (cause it's not at all). This is really an examination of my own life. I know that no one changes overnight. I know that knowing the right thing doesn't always make it an easier to do. Words don't equal action. But one step at a time and one day at a time I can replace the old with the new. I can change the negative to a positive. I can worry less about my own life and worry about people who really need it and the people in my life that really matter to me.
There's a whole new generation of kids and teenagers out there and that means that our time is up. The real world beckons - and our days of complaining, drama, and taking insecurities out on others have to go. Don't get me wrong - these things still exist in the adult world. But now hopefully we're working towards being mature enough to choose the alternative route.