The Turning Point

Early Adulthood....I can remember graduating high school thinking I had everything all figured out, only to find out that I had no idea. Even as those were adolescent days, the mentality I had at the time is something that manifests itself within me today. Then, I thought I was "grown." Now that I am, I wish I weren't. Then, I thought I knew everything. Now, I wish I didn't know. Making the transition from adolescence to adulthood is one of the hardest things that a person will ever have to do. It is my belief that when entering the "college world," whether traditional or non-traditional status, a person is forced to open up and take hold of their identity. My point in saying all of this is that the premise for these thoughts would be the beginning stages past post-formal thought with regard to my cognitive development.

When I arrived at SFA, my familiar world changed. Things that I thought to be true or factual were merely opinions. I begin looking at EVERYTHING from a different perspective. I began seeking explanations and an understanding of why I believed and practiced things the way I did. According to William Perry, this would be considered development of epistemic cognition.

On the other hand, socially and emotionally things were quite consistent for me. I began making friends and becoming involved in intimate relationships. I must admit there is some truth in the risk of feeling lonely as a young adult, because there were a couple of times when I would rather continue on in a "not-so-good" relationship because I was comfortable instead of being alone. At this point, there is that intimacy vs. isolation. In my opinion, for the most part, I feel that any major problems were resolved and companionship is something that I hope to pursue.

Moreover, it is important to understand this crucial period in our lives. As I have and continue to mature, I can see clearly where and what I have come from. "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child," (1 Corinthians 13:11) but now I am no longer a child...

Life is hard, (school, work, family, friends, bills, decisions, etc...) but nothing worth having is easy.