The Bittersweetness of Growing Up

When I was younger, my blood coursed blazing hot. I would run my mouth afoul in forums, made my opinions known as loudly or hurtful they could be. I resented the kind of adults who would look at us neutrally, saying, "It would be alright." A proof of cowardice sitting on the fence, neither encouraging or discouraging. A proof of not caring enough, for how could they fail to see how important the matter was to us? You have seen it play out multiple times. You know the plot by heart. I cooled down, hopefully from maturing perspectives instead of the weakening of will, and whenever I see the children I would like to be the one who could assure them, "It would be alright." Time did heal a lot of things, soften the edges. We look back and we wonder why we were so angry, so unreasonable. We laugh. Honestly though? I grew up to be an uncool adult by teenage me's standards. I have a string of respectable jobs and managed to lose each one. I drown semi-routinely and have to fish myself out of…