Growing Up

The other day I had my dad take me to Target so I could buy some things for the start of the school semester. On my list were shirts, a lunchbox, some notebooks and a planner. We found everything pretty easily except for the lunchbox. I had been to Target a few days earlier and saw a really neat Star Wars lunchbox that I wanted to get. Since we didn't immediately find it with the school supplies I suggested going to look for it with the Star Wars toys. My dad and I then had the following conversation:


Me: Well, it's a Star Wars lunchbox so maybe it's with the Star Wars toys.
Dad: Why do you want a Star Wars one?
Me: 'Cause it's Star Wars.
Dad: But you're in college.
Me: So?
Dad: You're going to be a federal agent.
Me: Yup.
Dad: So why are you getting a Star Wars one?
Me: 'Cause it's fun.
Dad: There's more to fun than Star Wars.
Me: I know. SW is my fun of choice.

It got me thinking. I think what my dad was trying (and failing) to get at is that I should be growing up and all that nonsense so I shouldn't use something that others will view as childish or possibly even immature. Even though he didn't explicitly say it, I have a response to that. There's a difference between growing up and becoming responsible for yourself and the things you have to do such as work and school and aging into a boring old fartbag that hides what they're interested in because it doesn't fit with the way the people around them act.

I'm a 22 year old college student majoring in criminal justice and I am not ashamed to take my Star Wars lunchbox to class with me. I also routinely use Star Wars notebooks and pens for class and I'm not embarrassed about it in the slightest. Just because I'm getting older and becoming more responsible doesn't mean I have to lose my sense of fun, or stop enjoying things that others might consider 'childish'. I consider myself to be a fairly mature person and I'm also responsible enough that I am independent. I of course still rely on my parents for certain things, but that's the nature of being a poor college student. But I'm working towards a college degree so that I can get a job as a federal agent or some other law enforcement position and be able to support myself. I think that entitles me to using a Star Wars lunchbox and other school supplies in college.

Maybe my dad didn't mean for there to be a difference between 'growing up' and becoming 'responsible' but I would hope he can tell the difference and be able to understand that just because I'm using Star Wars supplies doesn't mean I'm going to shirk my responsibilities. In fact, having my Star Wars supplies makes it that much more fun for me to do my work. And in my book anything that makes school a little more fun is completely worth having. Because my planner was a dull black when I bought it I then quickly spruced it up with some of my favorite Star Wars stickers. I love all my school supplies and could frankly care less what my dad or anyone else think about me for using them.