How old will you be when you grow up?

Last week, I was speaking with a friend, who recently found themselves out of a (serious and relatively long) relationship with the person that he loved. The heartache is slowly leaving now, but the feelings that he once felt have changed him. Not changed him completely, as there are still the weekends when he goes all "immature 20-year-old" and gets loose and lives for the drunken pashes with hot skanky girls...but most times, as he explained to me, he just wants to be at home, with a girl whom he loves, watching movies and talking and enjoying one anothers company. A far cry from how I remember this young man 2years ago. His outlook on life is less immature and the morals and values that he used to mock, are now understood and respected. He has, in one sense, grown-up.

The conversation I had with this friend, and hearing his thoughts on things relating to love and life and all the rest of it...really got me thinking. What does it mean to grow up?

At one stage, it means to be a big person. And look like an adult. Then you start to think that to grow up, would mean to have a career and be making heaps and heaps of money (everyone seems to make themselves rich when contemplating their future). But only after you reach the stage, where you HAVE to start thinking about your future, do you realise that to be grown up is a whole mind set. It's how think and how you act...not necessarily based on any particular age or event.
To be grown up doesn't mean that you can't have your immature moments and be silly and not 'act your age' - but rather that you have your priorities straight (whatever that means) and there is some form of sensibility in decisions that you have made or that you are preparing to make.
This doesn't occur overnight. As with most things, it relies heavily on your experience and the feelings or thoughts that were triggered. For some it takes a while to reach any sort of maturity. To leave behind old habits and focus on creating new ones. At times, it can be that a conscious effort needs to be made. Or for those lucky level-headed people, they just seem to grow into it.
It can be seen as a chance for responsibily to be increased, or, given - to aid the process. However you look at it, whether you agree with what I've said or disagree, it is of no consequence to me, for all I wonder is: How old will I be when I grow up?

DISCLAIMER: I don't mean to sound pretentious or haughty, but...

The high concentration of trend whores residing in and around Castle Towers and the greater Hills District is...unimpressive. Most people who are between the ages of 14 and 24 are quite fashion conscious and as such, feel a need and desire to look fashionable!! I understand this. I, myself, do feel the same way. This alone is not the problem. It is those who walk around thinking they are ultra-fashionable, just because they are wearing whatever has been tagged as "in" and "cool" that cause me to roll my eyes and shake my head (in exasperation and disbelief, generally).

For instance, girls who walk around, wearing those plaid flannel shirts and rabens - complete with super straightened hair and fake Ray-Bans - I just feel like going up to them, stamping their foreheads with "GENERIC" and telling them to get in line, as the band-wagon's coming around, full of all their other little friends, who are also trying to look "cool" and "alternative"...it kind of loses effect when every other person is doing the same thing, in the same way. Oh, but it's all classed as being "original", of course. Forgive the fashion tragic over here who thinks it isn't original, at all.

There are a couple of other accessories/items of clothing that really frustrate me. One being, the leather jacket. The leather jacket had it's day in the 90's. There was that whole 'grunge' movement, where it was safely assumed that you either rode a skateboard and played in a rock band or rode a motorbike or subsequently, were dating someone who did any/all of those three - if you were wearing a leather jacket. Now it seems, you put on a leather jacket and you are automatically considered "trendy". No. I must note: I do realise that there are exceptions. Those faithful wearers who continued to wear it, even though it was classed as "out-dated" - my disdain is not directed at you. Neither people like this - thestreetsofsydney: Mixing up the leather jacket - who are able to put a new spin on it and wear it FASHIONABLY, you, are excluded also. But those who wear it under the false-impression that it will give them fashion kudos, you and you alone bear the full brunt of my frustration.

This brings me to the fedora hats. Many many people are under the misconception that if you wear a fedora hat, you are cool. If it suits you, and your personal style, then yes, go right ahead! Two of my dear friends wear fedora hats and they look great! But as for every other trend-whore out there...don't wear it! I view the fedora hat as being the kind of accessory that is trendy, because few people wear it; and those who do, pull it off so well, that you know no one else should even bother. This does not stop those who wear it with their short denim shorts, fluro singlet and (once-again)Ray-Bans, to a house music festival, I'm sorry, but you make the potentially super-trendy hat look slightly tacky. Sienna Miller, please take note.

Even after all I've said, this could just be a classic case of jealousy. Maybe I'm jealous of all those who wear leather jackets and fedora hats; (and the like). Perhaps I need to get off my high-horse and accept the fact, that hey, it's hip to be square...
HA! No way.
'Fashion is not simply a matter of clothes..' and if everyone understood that, I might not have had something to blog about...