It’s the fifth grade. You’re sitting in class taking your EOG. Your mom didn’t let you get that $4 mechanical pencil you wanted. It would’ve brought you so much luck.

You dream of growing older so you can choose your own pencil.

Flash forward.

It’s graduation. Middle school is over. 

You dream of the new friends you’ll make in highschool. The possibilities are endless with a bedtime of 10pm.

If only you were old enough to drive yourself.

Flash forward.

Your parents announce their divorce.

You have no one to lean on, because you still haven’t made any friends.

You struggle with classes and dream of dropping out. 

If only your life was void of homework, everything would be much easier.

Flash forward.

You’re sitting in drivers ed. 

All your friends have cars except you. You’re broke and lonely. You put all your hopes and dreams into college.

You spend $300 applying to schools. You get into your dream college.

You’re told this will be the time of your life, and you believe it.

Flash forward.

Your dream college is everything you never thought it would be.

Making friends is still hard. You can’t drive yourself around. The homework is harder than ever.

At least you’re making your own money now.

If only you made more.

Flash forward.

You get a car.

You have a job that covers the rent. You even have a little left over to get your own $4 pencils.

What more can you ask for?

A life partner.

Flash forward.

It never got easier to make friends.

It never got easier to deal with your parents divorce.

Homework is gone, but work stresses you out.

You have money to hangout with people, but no time.

Everyone you finally got close to drifts apart.

You keep yourself afloat but focusing on new goals.

Flash forward.

You get a promotion at work.

You have all the things you could ever ask for.

You even got a new car.

You live on little sleep, have only a few friends, and no hobbies.

On your way to work in the morning you…

Flash back.

Remember when your biggest worry was the EOG? You were so lucky. 

You wish you could spend nights at your friends house again.

Those were the best nights of your life.

Why did you complain so much?

You wish you appreciated your youth more, it was so easy. 

You wish you could go back to low responsibilities and low stakes.

You wish you could give up the money you inherited and that $4 pencil.

Flash forward.

You have a kid. You love that kid. But you learned nothing from your time as a kid.

“Can I have that pencil?” your child says, staring at the $4 pencil you used to love.

“No. These will do just fine.” You say as you place a pack of $2 pencils in your cart.

With the dread of EOG’s approaching your child says, “I wish I was older.”

Flash forward.

Repeat.

It’s the fifth grade. You’re sitting in class taking your EOG. Your mom didn’t let you get that $4 mechanical pencil you wanted. It would’ve brought you so much luck.