Post 3

This week’s readings I thought really summarized the stage of my life that I am currently going through – emerging adulthood.  I no longer consider myself to be a little kid or child (that ended awhile ago), however I don’t think I can muster up enough courage to actually call myself an “adult.”  Sometimes, unfortunately, I forget actually how many responsibilities I have as a teacher.  It wasn’t that long ago I was in college having the time of my life, doing whatever I wanted to do, whenever I felt like it.  There are days when I am focused, in the zone, motivated…whatever you want to call it, and then there are the days when I just feel like forgetting all of the pressures and conflicts of life and just having a good time.  As of recent I would say 95 percent of my days are spent being motivated, which I believe is the result of myself becoming more and more of an adult.  I think this is why I enjoyed the article by Arnett (2000) so much, because I learned that I am not alone, and that others are experiencing the same feelings that I am.

I really feel that emerging adulthood is a period of change and exploration.  I really think this is the reason I went back to school.  Arnett (2000) states that this is the time of life where you can experiment with different life possibilities, which I believe that I am currently doing.  I do find this to be a very interesting time of life because so many of my friends seem to be at different stages of life.  I currently still live at home, teach at a school, and am going back to graduate school, but it seems that each one of my friends is doing something different (which at times can make everything a little confusing).  For example, this week, one of my best friends (who is the same age as me) told me that he was getting a promotion, buying a house, and that he just got engaged.  While I was extremely happy for him, I thought to myself – wow.  Is this something that I should be doing?  Am I going about this life thing all wrong?  However, after doing some reflection and reading our assignments, I came to some sort of peace about where I am in life.

In Corey and Corey (2010) and Arnett (2000) I learned that its ok to not have a set destination at this point in my life.  I am still trying to find my niche in this crazy world and still trying to find who I am as a person.  Corey and Corey (2010) made me feel a little bit better about a recent breakup when they explained that identity comes before intimacy and that having relationships for the sake of trying to escape from isolation rarely works.  This concept really hit close to home for me and helped me cope with my current state a little better.  So in conclusion, I am still trying to find who I am, I am still trying to find my purpose, and my future is not set yet – and that’s ok….emerging adulthood is a wonderful thing!

Bryan Stovall

Arnett, J.J. (2000). Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens through the twenties. American Psychologist, 55(5), 469-480.

Corey, G. , & Corey, M.S. (2008). I never knew I had a choice: Explorations in personal growth (9^th ed.).        Belmont, California: Thompson Brooks/Cole. ISBN: 9780495602293.